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THE TRANSFIGURATION, AND LESSONS OF WISDOM

Let us adore the grace that seeks

To draw our hearts above!

Attend, 'tis God the Saviour speaks, And every word is love.

AND MERCY.

"Come forth," he says, "" no more pursue

The paths that lead to death; Look up, a bleeding Saviour view; Look, and be saved by faith."

JESUS IS TRANSFIGURED. ND after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And behold there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, LORD, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias, While he yet spake, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first came? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of

man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

TRIBUTE MONEY.

HEN went the Pharisees, and took

THEN

counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Cæsar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's; and unto God the things that are God's. When they had heard these words, they marvelled and left him, and went their way.

JESUS BLESSES LITTLE CHILDREN.

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say unto you, Whosoever shall shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES.

AND when he was gone forth into

the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eyeof a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God for with God all things are possible.

CHRIST THE SON OF DAVID.

AND Jesus answered and said, while

he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the market places, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

And the

And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Questions and Explanations.

Question. How do we understand the expression "transfigured?"

Answer. That our Lord, whose countenance, we are told, was "marred" or marked with the traces of labour, sorrow, and grief, appeared on this great occasion with the signs of his divinity upon him; surrounded with the holy radiance, the shining light that belonged to him as the Son of God.

Q-How can we reconcile Peter's words "It is good for us to be here" with the disciples' being sore afraid "?

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A.-Peter seems to have rejoiced, and to have had his faith strengthened by the appearance of his Masterjin the brightness of his glory; but the radiance, and the solemn words calling upon the disciples to hear, that is to give heed to the words of the Son of God, struck them with awe and trembling.

Q-Who were the Herodians?

A.-They are described as men who looked for a continuance of royal favour in the descendants of Herod, and who differed from the Pharisees in paying tribute to Cæsar.

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like the Egyptian "Pharaoh," became a_title_given to the chief ruler of the Roman State. The Emperor

Tiberius was the Cæsar at that time.

Q. In what way were the Herodians tempting Jesus?

A. They were endeavouring to bring him into difficulty, and to get a pretext for representing him as one who wished to stir up the people against government and authority, by representing himself as a king. "Render unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's "—that is, give obedience and homage to Cæsar, as an earthly ruler, but render unto God the things that are God's. The spiritual ruler is above the earthly king.

Q. Why is it said to be hard for the rich to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4. It is natural that worldly wealth and grandeur should fill up the thoughts and souls of men, and make them think less of heavenly things. The man who came to Christ went away grieved, for he could not make up his mind to give up his possessions, and that Christ should be all in all to him.

Q. What lesson do we learn from the answer of Jesus to the Scribes ?

A.-That in the performance of our duty to God and to our fellow men lies the reality of the Christian life.

CHRIST'S LAST DAYS IN JERUSALEM.

As some tall rock amidst the waves

The fury of the tempest braves,

While the fierce billows, tossing high,
Break at its foot, and murmuring, die:

ND when they drew nigh unto

Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an

ass.

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down

Thus they who in the Lord confide,
Though foes assault on ev'ry side,
Cannot be mov'd or overthrown,

For Jesus makes their cause his own.

branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the LORD; Hosanna in the highest.

And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children. crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna

to the son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into

the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, of men; Of we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

Questions and Explanations.

Question. Why was the Saviour's entry into Jerusalem especially remarkable, and of very great importance as an event in his life?

Answer-In the manner of the entry a prophecy was fulfilled. It has been observed that in the olden time, in the East, to sit upon a horse was a sign of war, while riding on a mule or ass meant peace; and that even princes and kings rode on asses; Solomon, for instance, being recorded to have ridden on a mule when he was inaugurated as king in Judæa. Some writers, however, consider that the riding upon the ass was especially a sign of our Lord's humility-"meek, and sitting upon an ass."

Q. What was signified by spreading garments and branches in the way, as the Lord Jesus passed by?

A. It was a sign of welcome and joy, at the approach of him whom the people heard gladly, and whom many, in their hearts, acknowledged as the Messiah, the promised Son of God, who should redeem the people from their sins; though fear of the Pharisees and of the priests and elders often prevented them from acknowledging their belief. But on this occasion the general joy broke through these bounds of restraint, and the people publicly showed that they were not altogether destitute of faith.

Q. What is the meaning of "Hosanna to the son of David."

A.-" Hosanna" signifies "Save now," or "Save, we pray."

It was an appeal to Christ, who is called the "son of David," and this appellation was as much as acknowledging him to be the Messiah; for the Saviour was expected to be of the line of David.

Q.-What is the significance of the name "Daughter of Zion," given to the city of Jerusalem ? A.-Mount Zion was situated within the boundaries of Jeru salem; hence the poetical name often applied to the city.

Q.-Who were the money-changers? and why were doves sold within the precincts of the temple? A.-Many who came from distant parts to worship in the temple, especially at the time of the great festivals of the Jewish church, brought with them foreign coins, which they required to change into the money in use among the Jews; hence the money-changers made traffic in the exchanging of these coins. Doves were frequently offered as sacrifices by the poor, who could not afford to purchase the larger animals. Christ evidently thought the House of God was desecrated and turned to an unworthy use by any buying and selling being carried on within it.

Q. What lesson do we learn from the words of Jesus to the barren fig-tree: "Let no fruit grow

on thee for evermore"?

A.-That if we neglect our opportunities of producing fruit -that is, of doing good-the power of usefulness may be taken away from us at any time suddenly, as it was from the fig-tree.

Q.-In what way did our Lord convict the Pharisees out of their own mouths, in his question to them concerning John the Baptist?

A. He showed that men who in their hardness of heart stiffen themselves against the truth, will never be able to receive the divine teachings, so long as they remain in that frame of mind.

THE LAST SUPPER; AND THE BETRAYAL OF CHRIST.

THE INSTITUTION OF THE
SACRAMENT.

OW the feast of unleavened bread Now the drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where will thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will

And

not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. he took bread, and gave thanks, and, brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed.

And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.

CHRIST WASHES THE DISCIPLES'

FEET.

AFTER that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with a towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

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For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for

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