THE LIFE OF CHRIST.

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Questions on Section XI.

For what purpose did Christ go up alone into a mountain? What was the miracle he wrought, in the night of that day, which made the disciples afraid?

How did Christ rebuke Peter when he cried out for help as he was beginning to sink?

What did the disciples do and say when Christ went up into the ship to them?

What happened in the land of Gennesaret?

How did Jesus charge the people who came to Capernaum seeking Him?

What was his reply when the people asked Him for the true bread from Heaven?

Why did the Jews murmur at his reply?
How did He rebuke their murmuring?

To what controversy did Christ's declaration, that He would give His body for the life of the world, give rise? What was it that even his own disciples murmured at? What did Jesus say to the twelve Apostles when many of his other disciples were forsaking Him?

What was the solemn answer of Saint Peter?

How did Christ reply to the Pharisees and Scribes who reproached Him for allowing his disciples to eat with unwashen hands?

What was his charge, on this subject, to all the people?
What is it that really defileth a man?

SECTION XII.

From the Healing of the Daughter of the Syrophenician Woman, to the Declaration that Elias was already come, in the Person of John the Baptist.

PRAYER.

O Lord, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people; that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

THEN Jesus arose, and went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house, and would have no man know it but he could not be hid. For behold, a woman of Canaan, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying,

Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and fell at his feet, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and

HE CURES THE DEAF AND DUMB.

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she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But he answered and said unto her, Let the children first be filled for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table; the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: And he said unto her, For this saying, be it unto thee even as thou wilt: go thy way the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

And again, Jesus, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech: and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue *; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his

* The outward signs used by our Lord, in this and some few other miracles, seem to have been for the purpose of convincing the objects of them that the cure was effected by Him, because if they had simply felt themselves cured, without any outward significant action, they could not have known by whom, or how, the miracle was wrought. His repeated charges of silence, both teach us not to blow the trumpet to our deeds of charity, and, perhaps, indicate his desire not to be impeded in his course by the thronging of curious and idle spectators; but we are not to scan, or to presume to know, all the motives of the Saviour of the world; except so far as He himself is pleased to reveal them.

ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; and were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak. And he went up into a mountain, and sat down there, and great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel,

In those days, the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. And his disciples say unto him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? Whence should we have so much bread as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude, to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they did all eat, and were filled: and

HE REBUKES THE PHARISEES.

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they took up of the broken meat that was left, seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. And he sent away the multitude, and straightway he entered into a ship, with his disciples, and came into the coasts of Magdala, into the parts of Dalmanutha.

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Then the Pharisees, with the Sadducees also, came, and began to question with him, and desired that he would shew them a sign from heaven, tempting him. He answered, and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day for the sky is red and louring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this wicked and adulterous generation seek after a sign? Verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given to this generation, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed; and entering into the ship again, departed to the other side.

And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread; neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. Then Jesus charged them, and said unto them, Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the Sadducees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and