THE TEN LEPERS.

OND it came to pass, as He [Jesus] went to Jeru

salem, that He passed through the midst of

Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: and they lifted up their voices, and said, Master, Jesus, have mercy on us. And when He saw them, He said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus, answering, said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And He said unto him, Arise, go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole.'-LUKE Xvii.

THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.

HIS short parable was intended to rebuke the pride and vainglory of the Pharisees and Sadducees,

who, full of ideas of their self-righteousness, never doubted of their own acceptance before God. 'Two men went into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank Thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.'-LUKE Xviii.

H

ERE again our Lord thought proper to surprise

those who thronged around Him, by His condescension to a man who was emphatically a sinner in the estimation of the Jews. Yet nothing worse is recorded of Zaccheus than this, that he was a wealthy publican, or tax-gatherer, an office peculiarly disagreeable to this proud and vanquished nation. His giving half his goods to feed the hungry, and his perfect integrity in his business, wrought no favour for him with those who destroyed widows' houses, and despised Jesus Himself and His disciples for being poor. And, behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who He was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him: for He was to pass that way.

ZACCHEUS IN THE SYCAMORE TREE. 283

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for to-day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That He was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him four-fold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.'-LUKE Xix.

Ο

UR Lord's lamentation and grief, on the behalf of

that favoured spot, the land of His nativity, broke forth on two occasions in language the most touching and impressive that lips could utter. After having, with the utmost vehemence of rebuke, arraigned and condemned the chiefs of the Jewish people for their crimes, and sentenced them to their reward of retribution, in the twenty-third chapter of St. Matthew, He addresses Jerusalem in the accents of anguish as well as condemnation: 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.' Again, when riding towards the city, a short time before the period of His own sufferings, without its walls, He wept over it, saying, If