January 22.

POWER TO FORGIVE. Mark ii. 1-17.

GOLDEN TEXT.

Isaiah xliii. 25.1 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

PREFATORY REMARKS.-Palsy, or paralysis, as it is commonly named in these days, is the loss of voluntary motion, or of sensation in some part of the body, the muscles being entirely relaxed. The circulation of the blood, animal heat, and the ordinary secretions continue. The disease frequently comes on suddenly (after a stroke of apoplexy), at other times slowly and insensibly; but in every instance is difficult to remove.' The scribes were a body of learned men, sometimes also called lawyers, because they had charge of the law. It was their duty to teach the word of God to the people, to explain its meaning, and to make transcripts of it for public use. In the time of Christ their influence among the Jewish people was very great. The Pharisees were a religious sect who professed to have great knowledge of the law, and reverence for its teachings. They pretended to be very strict in their manner of life; but their exactness had much more regard to the traditions of the fathers, and the rules of their own order, than to the word of God. They were numerous and powerful in the days of our Lord, and frequently opposed Him with great bitterness.

EXPOSITORY NOTES.-After living some time in retirement occasioned by the conduct of the leper He had cleansed (see Mark i. 45), Jesus returned to Capernaum, where, among great crowds of people, He resumed His work of publicly preaching, and healing the sick. The following matters are found in the section

I. The healing of the paralytic. 3. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. This man's case was one of extreme affiiction, inasmuch as he had to recline on a bed, or couch, and be carried by others. 4. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. The eastern houses were generally flat-topped, and in many cases there was a flight of steps outside leading to the roof; so that these men might with comparative ease convey the sick man to the housetop; and, having done that, they could readily remove a portion of the tiling, and let him down to where the Saviour was. 5. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. By 'their faith' is probably meant that of both the paralytic and the men who brought him; for it is hardly likely that the former would have submitted to all this inconvenience, unless he had hope of a cure. The latter showed their faith by their works; it was strong, persevering, and victorious. Nevertheless, the way in which Christ met the case was, doubtless, disappointing to all the persons concerned: they wanted a bodily cure; He announced a spiritual blessing. But He was wiser than they. The sick man needed pardon even more than health. The Saviour sometimes disappoints us in this way, causing us to find the greater while we seek the lesser. 6-11. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, &c. They had not

made any charge against Christ openly; perhaps they were afraid to do so in the presence of the crowd; possibly, they had scarcely had time to speak their thoughts ere the Lord's hand was upon them dragging their thoughts into the light. They accused Him of the sin of blasphemy, in claiming the power to forgive iniquity, which none might claim but God. This was a very serious charge; and Jesus proceeded at once to meet it. In one sense, He had answered it already. Really, there needed no greater proof of His divinity, than that of reading the thoughts of His opponents. He who has power to read hearts, has authority to pardon sin. But to make the matter still clearer, the Saviour adds another argument, which may be thus expressed: An impostor would run greater risk of exposure, by bidding this sick man take up his bed, and walk, than if he said to him, Thy sins are forgiven thee, because in the former case his work can be easily judged by anybody, while in the latter the subject dealt with belongs to a spiritual and invisible realm, so that nothing is known as to whether sin is or is not forgiven. But I will do the harder thing. That ye may know that I have power to pardon sin, I say to this afflicted man, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.' 12. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. We are not told what effect was produced on the scribes by this argument and miracle; but if they were men of candour, and followed their own doctrine, they should have shared in the amazement of the people, and joined them in giving glory to God.

II. Preaching the gospel, and calling Levi. 13, 14. And he went forth again by the sea side, &c. Multitudes still following Jesus, He continued to teach them the things of the kingdom; for the working of miracles did not set aside the necessity for that. The Levi mentioned here is generally supposed to be identical with Matthew, the writer of our first gospel. He was employed in collecting the taxes imposed by the Romans on the Jews, and belonged to a much-hated class. He left his money-taking to follow the Lord, which is more than some will do, who profess great love for Him. III. Jesus eating with publicans and sinners. 15-17. And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples, &c. According to Luke v. 29, this feast was provided by Levi, who had just become one of the Lord's followers. The entertainment might be in honour of Christ, and to give Levi's friends an opportunity to hear the Great Teacher whose fame was filling the land. Publicans were persons who farmed the taxes under the Roman authorities, and were often guilty of oppressing the people by their exactions; hence they were very much disliked. Some think that by sinners, Gentiles are meant; while others suppose that they were the scum of Jewish society, whom the Pharisees had excluded from the synagogues. By eating with these publicans and sinners, Jesus gave occasion to the scribes and Pharisees to accuse Him of keeping low company, which they supposed no pure person would do, especially a teacher of religion, and a prophet. Jesus justifies His conduct, and declares the end of His mission to be the salvation of such characters as He was among. He took His accusers on their own ground. If they were righteous, they did not need saving; His message was

not to them, aud they could not, in fairness, blame Him for passing them by; while, in regard to the vile persons who were the objects of their hatred, there was great need of improvement, and He had come to call them to repentance, and do them good-a work which no right-minded men would censure Him for doing.

HOMILETICAL HINTS.-We see,-I. The greatness of Christ's person. He possesses authority and power to forgive men's sins,-indeed, to do for them all they need. He is God with us.

II. The glory of the Saviour's work. He heals both body and soul, and saves for time and eternity.

III. The method which Jesus pursues in dealing with us. He puts the most important things first. We are apt to care for the flesh, and neglect the spirit. This is wrong. Matthew vi. 33.

IV. The part of the business of salvation that belongs to us. We must know our need, have faith to guide us, and do, perseveringly, all the things appointed.

V. The unreasonable cavil raised against the Redeemer by certain of His enemies. This work is sometimes done in the name of godliness. Sectarianism is often blind. What is called religious respectability has often done most inhuman deeds. Still, Christ goes on His way saving men.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Uncovering the roof. In the middle room of the principal frontage, commonly on the side of the court farthest from the entrance, we suppose, were the doctors of the law, and other strangers, who are described as sitting by, while it is evident that our Lord stood forth in the gallery, which is generally broad, and is covered with a boarded roof, supported by wooden pillars, where He could address the people with so much more advantage to them and to Himself, than if He was in the court below. The men had only to take up two or three of the loosely attached boards from the covering of the gallery, and there was a clear and sufficient opening through which to let their friend down to the feet of our Saviour; and this, we believe, is what they did.

Human sympathy. Though the lower animals have feeling, they have no fellow feeling. Have I not seen the horse enjoy his feed of corn when his yoke fellow lay a dying in the neighbouring stall, and never turn an eye on the sufferer? They have strong passions, but have no sympathy. It is said that the wounded deer sheds tears; but it belongs to man only to 'weep with them that weep,' and by sympathy to divide another's sorrows, and double another's joys. When thunder, following the dazzling flash, has burst among our hills, when the horn of the Switzer has rung in his glorious valleys, when the boatman has shouted from the bosom of a rock-girt loch, wonderful were the echoes I have heard them make; but there is no echo so fine or wonderful as that which, in the sympathy of human hearts, repeats the cry of another's sorrow, and makes me feel his pain almost as if it were my own.

Gratitude for pardon.-A little girl deeply awakened, asked a minister what to do with her sin, and was advised to lay it upon Christ. Meeting her afterwards, he said, 'Well, have you laid your sin upon the spotless Lamb of God?' 'Oh, yes! and I'll never lay any more there,' she answered.

TALK WITH THE LITTLE ONES.

The Saviour had been out of Capernaum for some time preaching throughout all Galilee. He now returned to town. He was at home again. The news spread from mouth to mouth. Soon a large concourse gathered around Him-the house was crowded, the door-way blocked up. Here come four men carrying a cripple with palsied limbs and miserable mind. They want to bring him to Jesus, but are told they cannot get to Him because there is such a crowd. They say they must have this poor invalid brought to Him by some means. They beg admission next door, and go up on to the flat roof there, and from that to the roof of the house where Christ was. They remove some tiles and boards and let down the sick man to the place where Christ was. Christ not only cured him of the palsy, but pardoned his sins. He healed his soul as well as his body. He gave the best gift first, and then the lesser one. Boys and girls do not always care for the best things, because they do not feel their value. A baby you know will prefer a plaything not worth sixpence to a bank note worth five pounds. Do we care little for pardon and grace, but much for money, pleasure, getting on in life, having everything comfortable and prosperous? Or do we wish for pardon and grace above all? Then be sure that Christ will give us our wish. 1 John i. 7-10. He will give every good thing too, as when He had pardoned this man's sins He told him to take up his bed and walk. Rom. viii. 32; Matt. vi. 33.

CATECHISM ON THE LESSON.

When did Jesus enter again into Capernaum? After some days. What had He been doing during His absence? Preaching throughout all Galilee, and casting out devils. What did He do when so many gathered together in

and about the house after His return? Preached the word unto them. How was the man sick with the palsy brought to Him? Carried on his bed and let down through the roof. Who complained of Christ curing this man and pardoning his sins? Certain of the Scribes. Where did Christ next go? To the sea side. What disciple did he call from the receipt of custom? Levi, the son of Alphæus.

January 29.

THE PHARISEES ANSWERED. Mark ii. 18-28; iii. 1—5.

GOLDEN TEXT.

Exodus xx. 8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

PREFATORY REMARKS.-The bottles in use among the Jews and many other eastern nations, for storing wine, milk, oil, and water, were made of skins of animals, such as goats. The fermentation to which new wine is subject often continues after it has been bottled, and hence a strain is put upon the bottle which will cause it to burst, unless it be somewhat strong. If it be also elastic, it stands all the better chance of being preserved. Old skin bottles are apt to get weak through long use, and hard and inelastic by reason of their age; and hence it is unsafe to put new wine into them. It was usual, therefore, in the Saviour's time to put new wine into new bottles, in order to make it secure.

EXPOSITORY NOTES.-The chief matters dealt with in this section are

fasting and Sabbath observance; and Christ gives Himself to the work of correcting certain errors into which some persons had fallen regarding these two questions, mainly, no doubt, through the influence of the Pharisees. That body of men had imposed on their disciples many very rigid rules of behaviour, and thus made the religion of the nation a yoke that nearly all persons felt to be intolerably oppressive. We have,—

Matthew vi. 16-18. 19, 20. And Jesus

1. The subject of fasting. 1. The question started. 18. And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? Here are two classes of men, for the time being making common cause against Jesus and His followers. The Saviour had no doubt given offence to both parties, by attending a feast along with His disciples. It is supposed that John's disciples were having a fast at the time, on account of their master's imprisonment. If such was the case, they would consider it unseemly for Christ and His friends to be feasting during a season of great sadness. It is also probable that these followers of the Baptist had very dim ideas of the purpose for which Jesus had come, looking merely for a reform of the old dispensation, and not the setting up of a new one. Then, by eating with publicans and sinners, the Lord had given a severe shock to the Pharisees' sense of religious propriety. They looked on Him as an enemy to their faith; and if by that faith be meant the huge system of formalism which they had built up in Israel, an enemy He undoubtedly was, and one most formidable and uncompromising. He was not opposed to fasting as an ordinance of religion; but He wanted it to be done under suitable conditions, and with a proper aim. 2 The answer given. This consists of three parts. said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them ? &c. Marriage is associated with festivity and joy. Sackcloth, ashes, disfigured faces, and the refusing of suitable and needful food, are quite out of harmony with such a subject and occasion. To indulge in sorrow at such times is unnatural, and to feign it is always wicked. God wants us to be natural, honest, truthful. There is no sin in gladness, and no virtue in moroseness. We do not please God, or commend His service, or honour religion, or benefit ourselves, by being gloomy and morbid. The time would come when these now gladsome disciples of Jesus would have ample cause for sorrow, and then they would fast and mourn, though even then not as men who have neither joy nor hope left. They would lament the absence of the Bridegroom; but would wait confidently for His return, to take them to Himself and His Father's house. 21. No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. The fabric of which the old garment is formed having been rendered weak by long use, and the new piece being unwrought, or unfulled, will shrink, and leave the old, and increase the rent. 22. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, &c. On the nature of the bottles allued to, and the reason why new wine was not put into old bottles, see prefatory remarks above. The doctrine taught by Christ, in the three illustrations given in vv. 19-22, is that His religion, and that