THE SAME PASSAGE WHICH RECOGNISES THE CONTENTS OF THE SERMON ON THE SKETCHING 1. The being 'highminded,' is that against which the apostle warns in the EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS, as ch. xỉ 20.2. 2. The folly of trusting in uncertain riches,' he exposes in his FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS, as ch. i. 26-31; iii. 18-23; iv. 8-13, &c. 3. Trust in the living God,' is most strongly expressed in the SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. as ch. i. 9; iii. 3-6, &c. 4. God's giving us 'richly all things' in Christ, and these to enjoy in the liberty of the Sonship, is expressed in the EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS, ch. i. 4; ii. 20; iv. 4-7; v. 1, 13. 5. The desirableness of being led to do good' according to the good pleasure of the Father of glory, is intimated in the EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS, as ch. i. 4, 5, 15-20; ii. 10; v. 1, 2, 8-10, &c. 6. As to being 'rich in good works'-forwarding. whether by suffering or by doing, the message of salvation-see the EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS, as ch. i. 3-11, 27; ii. 1-17; iv. 1–9. THE GENERAL CONTENTS OF THESE HIM in whom all fulness is to be found, and as being fully equipped for service, is that for which the apostle prays, and to which he exhorts in the EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS, ch. i. 9-11; ii. 1-3; iii. 12-7. 8. A willingness to communicate' is that which is recognised, as belonging both to Paul and those to whom he had communicated the gospel among the THESSALONIANS, and to which he exhorts still farther, FIRST EFISTLE, ch. i. 2-8; ii. 8-12; iii. 10-2; iv. 9, 10; v. 14-23. 9. The laying up in store... a good founaation against the time to come,' so as to be able to resist the devil, the world, and the flesh, and remain faithful witnesses for Christ against all intruders, is called for, in the SECOND EPISILE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 10. It is perhaps surperfluous to say that the EPISTLES to TIMOTHY and TITUS most strongly oppose the sin of covetousness, and point out the propriety of our loosening our hold of this world, and of every false ground of confidence, that we may freely and 7. The being ready to distribute,' as knowing fully lay hold on eternal life.' TAKE HEED UNTO THYSELF, AND UNTO THE DOCTRINE; CONTINUE IN THEM: THE 'ROCK,' MATT. vii. 24.-THE NAME, ISAIAH ix. 6, EXHIBITED IN THE Books OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth | them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock,' Mt. vii. 24. Christ is the 'Rock,' confessed by Peter, Mt. xvi. 16-.8, § 50, p. -'the Spiritual Rock,' from which, even under the law, Israel was refreshed in the thirsty wilderness, 1 Cor. x. 4. He is the only Rock upon which we can safely build. Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ,' 1 Cor. iii. 11. He is the Foundation of the apostles and prophets,' even Jesus Christ himself. He being also the chief Corner Stone,' Eph. ii. 20. The ministration of the Spirit was promised to publish the NAME-to testify of Jesus as the Rock, De. xxxii. 1-4: 6 'Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, My speech shall distil as the dew, As the small rain upon the tender herb, It is by simple faith in God, through Christ, by hearing, so as to obey, the words of our blessed Redeemer, revealed by his Holy Spirit, that we build upon the Rock; and it is worthy of observation, that the writings of the New Testament, which present unto us the ministration of the Spirit, in manifestation of Christ as the one sure Foundation, are a publication, in order, of the NAME of the Lord, according as that Name is declared by Isaiah, ch. ix. 6. That Name we have already noticed, in connection with the first five Beatitudes, which describe the disposition with which we may successfully lay hold upon eternal life-build upon Christ the Rock-and become prepared to see God with gladness, when those who have built upon the sand will be swept from his blissful presence. It is only as building upon this Rock that acceptable obedience can by man be rendered unto God-that the commandment can be kept without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of Jesus Christ which in his times he shall shew, The blessed and only Potentate, The King of kings, and Lord of lords; Whom no man hath seen, nor can see : To whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.'-1 Tim. vi. 15. I. He is the WONDERFUL, the Unsearchable One, who is past finding out: Whom no man hath seen, nor can see.' We cannot comprehend the Infinite. We can but feebly apprehend the truth respecting him. He is 'Immanuel, God with us,' in whom the marvellous lovingkindness of the Father hath been declared. In the Gospel according to Matthew, we have his wondrous incarnation. Here also he is presented as the Revealer of secrets; his discourses, especially those of a prophetic nature, being given in Matthew. In this first book of the New Testament is also displayed his wisdom, as concealing in parables; and in replying to his opposers, as well as in revealing to his disciples. In Mark we have more fully brought before us the wonders of his working; his power in casting out devils, and his miracles of healing; his unwearied diligence in doing good to both the souls and bodies of men. In both Matthew and Mark we contemplate his marvellous endurance of suffering and reproach, as having undertaken our redemption, and as giving us an example that we should follow his steps. Blessed are they who are thus led; they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.' To them will be opened up the wonders of redeeming love. II. He is the COUNSELLOR-our Mediator, God-man, through whom we have reconciliation with God. In order to this, he partook of our nature, and was verily man, as is more particularly shewn out in the Gospel according to Luke. At the same time, he is verily God, as is most fully manifested in the Gospel according to John. In both these books we see him indicating the way of approach to the Father, and giving us example of communion with him by prayer. In Luke, being reconciled, are called for; and in John, we repentance, and submission to the Divine way of are led into the very bosom of eternal love, to rest in the embrace of the everlasting arms, whilst rejoicing in the abundance of the peace and truth, which are, by THE WONDERFUL COUNSELLOR,' unfolded to our view. In these two Gospels, we have more fully shewn to us the one atoning Sacrifice, on the ground of which we are thus brought nigh unto God; also the evidence that He who suffered is risen, and hath the same interest in the welfare of his disciples, as when before his death he tabernacled with them upon earth. He hath ascended to exercise his priestly office at the right hand of the Father in BE NOT HIGHMINDED, BUT FEAR.-Rom. xi. 20. [149 FOR IN DOING THIS THOU SHALT BOTH SAVE THYSELF, AND THEM THAT HEAR THEE.-1 Tim. iv. 16. AND THEY THAT KNOW THY NAME WILL PUT THEIR TRUST IN THEE: heaven. Our Counsellor hath for us entered within the vail, and dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for God, the living God-who earnestly desire the blessings procured by the intercession of Christ, and who long for his appearing: they shall be filled. III. He is THE MIGHTY GOD: He hath burst the bonds of death, and triumphed over hell and the grave; ascended to the throne of the Father, and become possessed of all power in heaven and in earth; bestowing upon his chosen witnesses power to preach to all men the forgiveness of sins; to proclaim to all nations the gospel, for the obedience of faith; ministering the Spirit, for the renewing of man after the Divine image, in order to make meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. All this, the proof of his being the IMMORTAL, THE MIGHTY GOD,' who only hath immortality" to bestow, we have most fully presented to us in the Acts of the Apostles, and the Epistles of Paul. With regard to the apostle of the Gentiles, the mighty power of the Redeemer-of Jesus, whom he had persecuted, was indeed marvellously displayed. Paul was emphatically an apostle of Christ, to give witness of the resurrection. It was as having risen and ascended, that the Lord appeared to him, on his way to Damascus. And the resurrection-life was made manifest in his mortal flesh: Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God,' he could say, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ,' Rom. xv. 19. When the ministration of the gospel, by the apostle of the Gentiles, is effectual in the raising up of Israel, the people of the God of Abraham, new created in Christ Jesus, through the word of the truth of the gospel which Paul preached-the word of the Lord spoken over the bones rery many and very dry, Eze. xxxvii. 1-14-when that which Paul contemplated is realized, Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting;' then will the mighty power of God be made manifest, both in them and for them. Then he will indeed appear as The mighty God, the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God;' and as truly will he prove himself faithful and powerful to fulfil his promise, Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.' IV. He is THE EVERLASTING FATHER-the Eternal, the Father of a royal priesthood. In the Epistle to the Hebrews is shewn that it is by him men have been made the partakers of eternal life, in any age, under any dispensation. He is the great federal Head, in whom all new covenant mercy has been enjoyed, from Abel downwards. He is the Author of eternal life to all that obey him; his throne is for ever and ever, and his is an everlasting priesthood. He ever liveth to procure for us the nourishment meet for the life which we have in him-Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.' | shall be comforted. The people who had been scattered throughout the countries, are begotten again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,' I Pe. i. 1-3. Born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lireth and abideth for ever, ver. 23 A chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past' (as forewarned by the prophet, Hos. i. 6-11) were made not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy,' 1 Pe. ii. 9, 10. In the Epistles of Peter, the first of which is more particularly upon the sufferings of Christ, and the second upon the glory that should follow, are presented the keys of the kingdom of heaven,-a description of which, first as to grace, and then as to glory, we have in the remaining books of the New Testa ment. V. He is the PRINCE OF PEACE. Even in the midst of trouble, and as enduring affliction, his people can now enjoy peace. The manner in which they may do so, and the profitable use which, in the view of the coming kingdom, is to be made of present suffering, are described in the First Epistle of Peter; as in the second epistle we are shewn by what power, and against what enemies, the spiritual warfare is now to be maintained; how we may rest in the day of the Lord, a day of trouble and alarm to those who have chosen their portion amid the changeful things of time; who have been at ease in rejection of the Divine testimony respecting the coming of the Lord. The Epistles of John shew us the law of the kingdom, which is LOVE, in obedience to which we enjoy peace; they also contain warning against all that would mar that peace, and render us exposed to the attacks of the adversary, through our succumbing vileges as sons of God. They also teach us properly to the enemy, and yielding up our rights and prito discriminate between friend and foe. Jude shews that there is indeed to be no peace with the enemy, but that we must earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints,' looking unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen,' Jude 3, 24, .5. The Apocalypse is emphatically the revelation of the PRINCE OF PEACE. In it are described the successive revolutions through which he is reaching forward to the full establishment of his kingdom of righteousness and peace. As our Prince, the Prince of the kings of the earth, he is spoken of in the very beginning of the book; and as our Peace, he is described, ch. i. 12-20. And as preparing his people for its enjoyment, he addresses them in ch. ii., iii. A glimpse of the glorious rest that awaits them in the kingdom, ch. iv. His procuring it for them in heaIn the Epistle of James, we are still farther re- ven, ch. v. His removing his crown, and consequently minded that he is indeed a Father to Israel; that he peace, from the earth; his giving to his saints rest in hath loved us with an everlasting love. It is addressed, trouble; and the awful tribulation which is coming not to the Jews, the remnant of Israel, but to their upon the world, are referred to, ch. vi. The transbrethren, the whole house of Israel,' who had been mission of the gospel westward, and the abundant cast out among the Gentiles, and who were to hu- peace his people are to enjoy standing before the man appearance lost, Eze. xi. 13-21. It is addressed throne, ch. vii. The seven prophetic trumpets, giving to the twelve tribes scattered abroad,' and clearly warning of the King's approach, and the triumph recognises us as being still the peculiar objects of of his kingdom. ch. viii.xi. The church and her the truly parental care and tenderness of our beastly adversaries, the devil, the world, and the everlasting Father. Of his own will begat he us flesh, ch. xii., xiii. The Lamb on the mount Sion, with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of the universal preaching of the gospel, the last firstfruits of his creatures,' Ja. i. 18; and correspondent warnings to Babylon and the world, and the speedy admonition and encouragement, together with a accomplishment of the judgment upon those who most remarkably minute description of our charac- have refused the proffered peace, ch. xiv. ter and condition, are given throughout the epistle, triumph in trial of those that overcome, who sing all belonging to us at this time when the coming of the song of Moses and the Lamb, ch. xv. And the the Lord draweth nigh,' ch. v. 8. He hath ever been pouring out of the seven vials full of the seven last mindful of his covenant. He hath been a Father of plagues-intimations that there is to be no peace to the fatherless, very pitiful, and of tender mercy;' so the wicked, ch. xv., xvi. The last plagues upon that we may truly say, Doubtless thou art our Fa- Babylon and all the enemies of the King, which had ther, though Abraham he ignorant of us, and Israel been announced in ch. xiv., and samples of which acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our Father, our are given, ch. xvi., are more fully described, ch. xvii. Redeemer thy Name...from everlasting. Return-xix. Now the Lord is manifested as indeed the for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance," Prince, ch. xix. 11-.6; and the peace into which He &c., Is. lxiii. 16-.9, p. (56). They who thus mourn is leading those that are called, and chosen, and 150] I WILL CONFESS TO THEE .... AND SING UNTO THY NAME.-Rom. xv. 9. The FOR THOU, LORD, HAST NOT FORSAKEN THEM THAT SEEK THEE.-Ps. ix. 10. faithful,' is described, ch. xxi., xxii. Then is Jerusalem-the Seeing of Peace And there shall be no more curse: But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; And his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; And his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; And they need no candle, Neither light of the sun; For the Lord God giveth them light: And they shall reign for ever and ever." Rev. xxii. 3-5. Then will be seen the fulfilment of the promise, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' Then shall they rejoice to celebrate the praises of our King Unto him that loved us, And washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.'-Rev. i. 5 6. Compare 1 Ti. i. 17; Is. ix. 6, 7; and 1 Ti. vi. 15, .6. 1. He is THE KING''the Prince of Peace '-' the blessed and only Potentate.' 2. ETERNAL-'the Everlasting Father'-the Father of a royal priesthood-the King of kings, and Lord of lords.' 3. IMMORTAL' the Mighty God'-who hath for us conquered death and hell-who only hath immortality.' 4. INVISIBLE''the Counsellor '-whom now we see not, He having for us entered within the vaildwelling in the light which no man can approach unto.' 5. THE ONLY WISE GOD'-the 'Wonderful '-whose wisdom is unsearchable-the depth of whose working is beyond the reach of human eye-' whom no man hath seen, nor can see.' NOW HE WHICH STABLISHETH US WITH YOU IN CHRIST, AND HATH ANOINTED US, IS GOD; WHO HATH ALSO SEALED US, AND GIVEN THE EARNEST OF THE SPIRIT IN OUR HEARTS.-2 Cor. i. 21, .2. CONCLUDING REMARKS. WHEN the Lord spake, in Horeb, the words of the Decalogue, Israel had said, De. xviii. 16, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.' And the LORD said unto' Moses, ver. 17-.9, 'They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whoso ever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.' Moses, the mediator of the national covenant made with Israel, was a type of the Mediator of the new covenant, never to be broken. Jesus hath come near and spoken, to our better understanding, the words of the Law. In The Sermon on the Mount,' he hath given, as we have seen, an evangelical exposition of the Decalogue. We have seen that the law of the Ten Commandments, which the Lord delivered in the ears of the children of Israel, and which twice with his own finger he wrote upon two tables of stone, he caused also to be written in the books of the Law and the Prophets, and that in the same order as these are presented in the Hebrew Scriptures: the five books of Moses being correspondent to the first five Commandments; while the other five Commandments have their illustration in Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, and the Prophets. We have seen that our Lord, in the ten portions of his Sermon on the Mount,' made a recognition of those books, in the same order, and gave a renewal of the Law, according to the New Testament. We have seen that not only did he speak thus on earth, but that from heaven he hath, by his Spirit, through the instrumentality of the apostle of the Gentiles, ministered the Law in the fulness of Gospel light; that the ten Epistles of Paul, from Romans to First Timothy, contain a farther development and application of the Law in its spirituality, as presented in The Sermon on the Mount.' The tenth of these Epistles we have seen to be a kind of recapitulation of the whole; while at the end of it there is a measure according to Paul's gospel, and the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,' first, for the man of God,' who is rich as having only God for his portion, 1 Ti. vi. 11-6; and next for those who may be also rich in the things of this world, ver. 17—9. It remains that we in all simplicity of purpose, with an earnest desire to know and do the will of God, present ourselves before him, in order that he may accomplish his promise, Je. xxxi. 31-.3, 'Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake,' &c.: 'But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.' Then will be better understood the words of the apostle, 2 Co. iii. 5-8, Our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away; how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?' 'Now to Him that is of Power to stablish you And the Preaching of Jesus Christ, According to the Revelation of the Mystery, Which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, And by the Scriptures of the Prophets, According to the Commandment of the Everlasting God, Made known to all nations For the Obedience of Faith: To God only Wise, Be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.'-Rom. xvi. 25-.7. HALLOWED BE THY NAME.-Matt. vi. 9. [151 OPEN THOU MINE EYES, THAT I MAY BEHOLD WONDROUS THINGS OUT OF THY LAW.-Psalm cxix. 18. TABULAR VIEW OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AND ITS CORRESPONDENCIES: SHEWING THE TEACHING OF THE FATHER, IN THE DECALOGUE, THE TWELVE LARGER BOOKS OF THE PROPHETS, THE TWELVE MINOR PROPHETS, AND THE OTHER BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT; THE ONENESS THERE WITH OF THE PREACHING OF JESUS CHRIST ;' AND OF THE GOSPEL, AS MINISTERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, IN THE EPISTLES OF PAUL, AND IN THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT GENERALLY. 1 HAVE SEEN AN END OF ALL PERFECTION BUT THY COMMANDMENT IS EXCEEDING BROAD.-Psa. cxix. 96. pp. 149-.51, & 174. See Addenda, pp. 144-..9. pp. 149-.51, & 215-..7. 1521 OH, HOW LOVE I THY LAW! ETC.-Psalm cxix. 97. O LORD, THE HOPE OF ISRAEL, ALL THAT FORSAKE THEE SHALL BE ASHAMED, AND THEY THAT DEPART FROM ME SECTION 20.*-JESUS TEACHES THE PEOPLE FROM THE LAKE OF GENNESARET: SIMON PETER AND HIS PARTNERS HAVING LET DOWN THEIR NETS AT HIS COMMAND, ENCLOSE A WONDERFUL DRAUGHT OF FISHES.+ Luke v 1-11 INTRODUCTION OR ANALYSIS. Ver. 1-3. Jesus, being pressed upon by his hearers whilst standing by the lake of Gennesaret, enters into Simon's ship, and thence addresses the people. Ver. 2, 3, 5. It appears that Simon and his partners had but just returned from an unsuccessful night's toil upon the lake. Whilst multitudes of others were most eager to hear the word of God, Peter seems to have been engaged in washing his nets, until asked by Jesus to move the vessel from the land. Ver. 4. Jesus, having finished his discourse, directs that the vessel be moved out into the deep, and that preparation be made for a draught. Ver. 5. Simon, although discouraged by his previous want of success, when he had gone a fishing at his own will, yet, out of respect to Jesus, says, 'I will let down the net.' Ver. 6, 7, 9, 10. Having done so, the draught is so great, that their nets are breaking; and they fill, to sinking, both their own ship, and that of their partners, James and John; who, as well as those with Simon, are astonished at the quantity of fishes they have taken. Ver. 8-10. Peter is confounded at the power of Jesus and his own sinfulness, and acknowledges that he is altogether unworthy of being Jesus' disciple. It is to be noticed, that Peter is only called Simon in ver. 3, 4, and 5, and that in ver. 8 he gets also the name of Peter, as if to acquaint us with the cause of Peter's confusion and confession. He had already been given this new name by Jesus, Jno. i. 42, 2 10, p. 71, and had been expressly called to follow Christ as a disciple, Mt. iv. 18-20, ? 16, p. 108; but, possibly from the fear that he or his family might not be sufficiently provided for, were he to leave his worldly occupation,to wait continually upon Jesus, he had gone a fishing; and was found washing his nets, when others were attending upon the Saviour's teaching. If such were the circumstances, no wonder Peter felt ashamed and afraid. He saw himself in danger of being ruined, by an over-abundance of that which he had in this instance preferred to waiting patiently upon the teaching of Jesus. Ver. 10, .1. Jesus graciously forgives Peter, and says, 'Fear not;' and tells him plainly he is henceforth altogether to give himself unto the work to which he had been called. Peter, as well as the other disciples who had been associated with him, do now accordingly, as soon as they bring the boats to shore, fully commit themselves to the keeping of Jesus; and follow him, without looking for other support than what was to be had in immediate attendance upon his ministry. (G. 24,) No. 20. Lake of Gennesaret. 1 And it-came-to-pass, that, as- the people-pressed-upon him to hear the word of God, he 2 stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the 3 fishermen were-gone-out of them, and-were-washing their nets. And he-entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and-prayed him that-he-would-thrust-out a-little SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS. 1. pressed upon him-Jesus condescended to mix with the multitude, and to be encumbered with them. They thronged him,' Mk. v. 24, § 36, p. 280, [Lu. viii. 42insomuch that they trode one upon another,' Lu. xii. 1, &c., § 63-see § 18, p. 116, ver. 25, Great multitudes.' Lake of Gennesaret-called by Matthew, Sea of Galilee, ch. iv. 18, § 16, p. 108-who also mentions the 'land of Gennesaret,' ch. xiv. 34, § 42 [Mk. vi. 53] the lake is by John called also the Sea of Tiberias,' Jno. vi. 1, § 40-it was of old called the Sea of Chinnereth,' Nu. xxxiv. 11; Josh. xii. 3. 3. Simon's he had already been called, as being given a new name, when introduced to Jesus, by Andrew, his brother, Jno. i. 42, § 10, p. 71-he had again been called with Andrew, when found in the act of casting a net into the sea,' Mt. iv. 18-20, § 16, p. 108-see § x., ADDENDA,' p. 75, & § xxvii, p. 213. NOTES. 1. The lake of Gennesaret. See GEOGRAPHICAL NOTICE, p. 155. This was the region of the early toils of our Redeemer. Here he performed some of his first and most amazing miracles; here he selected his disciples; and here, on the shores of this little and retired lake, among poor people, inured to the privations of fishermen, he laid the foundation of a religion which is yet to spread through all the world, and which has blessed millions of guilty and miser able men, by making them holy here, and then PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS. 1 ver. Let what we have received of the word of God make us earnestly desire more, and more will be given. 2, 3 ver. Simon appears to have again returned *This, with Sect. xxi., is Lesson 21, in the Course of Lessons Graduated for Simultaneous Instruction. + On the miraculous draught of fishes, and the call of the four disciples, see ADDENDA,' p. 157. to his fishing, perhaps as doubting the propriety of his quitting a certain earthly maintenance, for what he may have thought the doubtful provision he could have as a follower of Jesus. I THE LORD SEARCH THE HEART.-Jer. xvii. 10. [153 SHALL BE WRITTEN IN THE EARTH, BECAUSE THEY HAVE FORSAKEN THE LORD, THE FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS.-Jer. xvii. 13. |