have lost the last film from our eyes. 3. Our duty is to make true and full confession of Christ. He is the Son of God, and the appointed Saviour of men. 4. Our behaviour towards Jesus must always agree with the profession we make concerning Him. If we oppose Him, He will be sure to reprove us for our conduct, and that will be most humiliating indeed. May we truly see and faithfully confess Him. Amen. ILLUSTRATIONS. "The Son of man must suffer many things.' He must suffer. It was written in the prophets hundreds of years before His day; but this did not create, it only declared, the necessity. It is part of the disorder of this sinful world that all reformers must meet with scorn and shame; but this was not the necessity laid on the Messiah. That was in things before the foundation of the world; in the very heart of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Before man had fallen, Christ had laid Himself upon the altar-a lamb slain. We cannot tell where in the divine being and government that great necessity was lodged for the cross of Christ, but we know from His own words that He ought to suffer and so enter into His glory. Let us joyfully confess Him before men that He may acknowledge us before the Father and His angels. Let us rejoice that He who must suffer, must also reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet. TALK WITH THE LITTLE ONES. When Jesus was at Bethsaida, by the Sea of Galilee, a blind man was brought to Him. He led the man out of the town so that none could see the miracle. Then He touched the man's eyes and asked him if he could see. The man looked up and said he could see a little. Jesus put His hands on his eyes again and told him to look up, and then He could see as well as anybody. After this Jesus went with His disciples to a place among the mountains called Cæsarea Philippi. Here He asked them what people said about Him. When they had told Him, he said, 'Who do you say that I am? Peter said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God? Then He told them that He would have to suffer and be killed, and after three days He would rise from the dead. Now will you remember-1. That Jesus is the Son of God. 2. That He is the Saviour of the world. 3. That He died to save you from death. CATECHISM ON THE LESSON. What did Jesus ask the disciples while He was near Cæsarea Philippi? Whom do men say that I am. Whom did the people think Jesus to be? One of the prophets. Whom did Peter say that Jesus was? The Christ. What did Christ command the disciples concerning this truth? Not to tell it. What did Jesus then foretell to His disciples? His sufferings, death, and resurrection. May 28. FOLLOWING CHRIST. Mark viii. 34–38; ix. 1. GOLDEN TEXT. Mark viii. 34. And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. PREFATORY REMARKS.-In some of the statements of this lesson we have clear proof of the Saviour's straightforwardness and thoroughgoing honesty. If He had been a deceiver, wishing to entrap men, that He might use them to further His own selfish aims, it is not at all likely that He would have laid it down as an essential condition of membership, that each person who enters His service must practise self-denial, and be ready to bear reproach daily for His sake. If the cross had been named by Him at all, it would have been rarely, and in the slightest manner. It would have been studiously kept in the back-ground, and an attempt made to dazzle the disciples' minds by visions of carnal pleasure, and earthly glory. Jesus was thoroughly loyal to truth. He also knew that though men may be required, in living right lives here, to fight a hard battle for godliness, yet in the final reckoning the servants of righteousness will be found to have won everything worth caring for. EXPOSITORY NOTES.-Parallels: Matt. xvi. 24-28; Luke ix. 23-27. 34. And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, &c. It is probable that the healing of the blind man, and the conversation about the person and sufferings of the Saviour, recorded in vv. 22-33, took place in the presence of a select circle of friends, perhaps the twelve only. What follows was designed for a larger body of men, as having to do with a fundamental principle of Christ's kingdom, and being applicable to all who may enter His service. 'Coming after' Him means being a disciple, or learner, of His; it implies a desire to imitate Him, and the doing of those things which He enjoins on His people. Selfdenial may be of two kinds. First, the absolute relinquishment of what is sinful, however pleasant and tempting it may be. Second, the temporary surrendering of what is proper and lawful, in order to obtain something that is higher and better. Christ has set before us the supreme good, and requires us to co-operate with Him in the great work of saving men from the thraldom of sin and death. But we have a weak nature, constantly surrounded by evil elements, and cannot fulfil our calling, unless we practise the self-denial in question. Cross-bearing points to the enduring of evil for righteousness sake. Probably, the Saviour's words contained some allusion to His own sufferings and crucifixion. His enemies would put Him to death on a cross which they would first compel Him to carry. Some of His disciples have had to drink of the same cup, and share in His baptism of blood. All should be prepared to endure a like fate in obedience to His will. Thus the Christian life is a warfare. 35. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. The Greek word rendered 'life' in this verse is in vv. 36 and 37 rendered 'soul.' Dr. Schaff says it has the double meaning life and soul, for which there is no corresponding term in English.' The man who, for the purpose of taking care of his earthly life, shuns the service of religion, and acts with motives and aims that are selfish, takes the most effectual way to defeat himself. He both fails to get the true enjoyments that are to be had in this world, and forfeits all the good belonging to the next. The interests of two worlds are thrown away for what is little better than a shadow. Then, on the other hand, the man who gives up the life he now has, that he may do the will of Jesus, and help on the gospel of God's salvation, shall find abundant recompense. So far as this state of existence is concerned, he will have realised the true purpose of being, and in that which comes after, he will find the highest good that any creature can enjoy-life everlasting. Such a one loses nothing, and gains all things. 36, 37. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Here is a question of profit and loss, that deals with two great things-the world and the soul. In no very strict and comprehensive sense did any man ever gain the whole world. A few may have subdued the existing nations by force of arms, and proudly called themselves masters of the world. But even in these cases there have been tribes of men whom the conquerors never reached. Some have had such ample means of enjoyment, that there were few known earthly pleasures that they did not taste: and perhaps this is what is meant by gaining the whole world. Such persons may be envied by great numbers of the earthly minded. To these, however, the purest joys of life are unknown, while the pleasures that they have are held by a precarious thread, and must soon cease altogether. The loss of the soul is not a matter of mere supposition. It may happen to any one of us, and does befall many men. This loss does not necessarily imply the extinction of the soul's being; it means the forfeiture of its opportunities of gaining an immortality of blessedness in heaven, and its being brought under the just judgment of God for its careless, selfish conduct, which doom is the perdition of eternal darkness and fire. What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? The nature of the question implies that the loss is irreparable. Nothing can make up to a person the loss of himself. What shall he give who possesses nothing? How can a man ransom that for which creation furnishes no equivalent? He who barters his soul for earthly things gets doubly cheated; he obtains only a sham world, and involves himself in everlasting ruin. The extent of the disaster is beyond calculation. 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, &c. These words were designed no doubt to inspire the disciples with a determination to follow their Master with courage and faithfulness whatever might be the dangers of their calling. His sayings gave offence to many, causing them to stumble. Matt. xix. 16-22. That was an adulterous generation. Multitudes had left God to go after human teachers, like a wife that forsakes her lawful husband in order to consort with evil men and seducers, according to the example given in John xii. 42, 43. Such can have no part in Christ, here or hereafter. When judgments shall overtake men, these cowards will find no succour in Him; and in the day when He comes with the glory of the Father and all the holy angels, He will mete out to such the measure they have given Him. Will not that be a fair arrangement and a just recompense? If we be afraid to own Him, why should He care for us? Chap. ix. 1. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, &c. By some, death was compared to a cup full of bitterness, and the Saviour, in this case, adopts that fignre, asserting that certain persons then present would not die till they had seen the kingdom of God come with power." This last clause has given rise to considerable diversity of opinion among expositors. By the kingdom of God coming with power, some have understood the Transfiguration of Christ, others, His Resurrection, others again, the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, and many, the destruction of Jerusalem, while a few suppose that it refers to the general diffusion of the gospel among Gentile nations. It seems fair to infer from the language used, that the Saviour does not allude to events likely to happen within a few months of the time when the words were spoken, but rather to things somewhat remote. The overthrow of the Jewish nation, with its emphatic and decisive declaration, that Jehovah had chosen another people, and those the followers of Jesus, appears to have much in its favour as being the thing signified by our Lord's words. Then God shook the earth and the heavens, and took away the things that were shaken, giving a kingdom which cannot be moved. HOMILETICAL HINTS.-The subject of the lesson is Christian discipleship, or following Jesus. Notice I. The nature of the interests at stake. Winning life, or losing it, saving the soul, or forfeiting it, are the matters dealt with. 1. They are of unparalleled importance. The prize is the greatest we can imagine; the failure, the most terrible thing we can think of. 2. They are decisive and final. Whatever the issue may be, it takes hold of eternity, and will be unalterable. Our present probation is once for all. II. The line of conduct laid down. Self-denial. Cross-bearing. Following Christ unshrinkingly in His words and ways, however corrupt the age in which we live, and whatever the suffering involved. III. The glorious issue of faithful service. Life will be won. Giving up for Christ is the most effectual way of retaining. The more we lose for His sake, the greater is our gain. We shall get what is infinitely more precious than the whole world. We shall see the kingdom of God, and share in the honours of Christ. IV. The fearful consequences of selfish, worldly living. Everything will be lost. We shall be disowned of the Saviour at a time when no one else can help us. ILLUSTRATIONS. A famous writer, Thomas Carlyle, has been quoted as saying, 'It is not to taste sweet things, but to do noble and true things, and vindicate himself under God's heaven as a God-made man, that the poorest son of Adam dimly longs. Show Him the way of doing that, the dullest day-drudge kindles into a hero. They wrong man greatly who say he is seduced by ease. Difficulty, abnegation, martyrdom, death, are the allurements that act on the heart of man. Kindle the inner genial life of him, you have a flame that burns up all lower considerations. Not happiness, but something higher! Not by flattering our appetites; no, by awakening the heroic that slumbers in every heart, can any religion gain followers.' All this has the gospel ring. But that 'something higher;' what is that? What is it but the heavenly happiness or the blessedness for which the philosopher had no word, but of which the Saviour has given us alluring revelations ? Nearer to Christ.-A few years since, a Christian company visited a southern plantation. Among the slaves was an old man, with whom the following conversation was held: You are an old man: will you not die soon?' 'Yes, I know I must.' 'Where do you expect to go?' 'I think I shall go to the good land.' 'Why do you think you will go there?' 'I cannot tell; but the nearer I come to death, somehow, Jesus and I get nearer together.' TALK WITH THE LITTLE ONES. Jesus called the people unto Him, and said, 'If any one will be My disciple and follow Me, he must give up doing his own will and submit to My commands, and take up his cross.' By the cross He meant the troubles and burdens men find in the service of God. He said, 'If any one tries to save his life by giving up My service, he may have a fine home on earth, but he will lose eternal life in heaven. But he who gives up comfort and life here if required for My sake will have eternal life hereafter.' Then He told them that if any one of them were ashamed of being His disciples and confessing Him before men, He would be ashamed of them and not confess them when He came in the glory of His Father and His holy angels with Him. Now we ask-1. Are you trying to be one of Christ's disciples? 2. Do you ever give up your own will for Christ's sake? 3. Are you trying to follow Jesus in your daily life? 4. Do you always confess Christ before others? CATECHISM ON THE LESSON. What did Jesus say are the duties of every one who desires to follow Him? Self-denial and bearing the cross. What shall become of him who loses his life for the gospel? He shall save it. What did Jesus say concerning those who are ashamed to own Him here? He will be ashamed of them hereafter. What did He say that some of His disciples should live to see? His kingdom come with power. June 4. THE TRANSFIGURATION. Mark ix. 2—13. GOLDEN TEXT. John i. 14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. PREFATORY REMARKS.-The scene of our Lord's transfiguration has generally been laid on Mount Tabor, but, as some think, without sufficient evidence. Tabor was in Galilee; and we have no intimation of His having |