see, shall be that of my resurrection. Yet even this will not satisfy them, unless they have "the understanding heart." "If they believe not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe, though one rose from the dead."

Doubtless it will appear, at last, that sufficient evidence of the truths which are needful for his soul is given to every man, if he will honestly seek and use it, instead of neglecting or resisting it. "If any man will do the will of God, he shall know of the doctrine that it be of God." The Spirit perceives "afar off" the "willing mind;" enlightens, teaches it, and guides it "into all truth." "He that is of God, heareth God's words." Too many "hear them not, because they are not of God."

13. And he left them, and entering into the ship again, departed to the other side.

14. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.

15. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.3 16. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.

17. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?

18. Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

Matthew (xvi. 6,) calls it "the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." Probably therefore Herod, and the Herodians inclined to the infidelity of the Sadducees.

Interpreting his words according to their literal meaning: We are without provisions, we have no bread, and he warns us not to seek it of the Pharisees.

19. When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.

20. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. 21. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

They might surely have understood, from what they had experienced, that he would not suffer them to want what was indispensable, or oblige them to have recourse to their enemies for relief. But the disciples were slow, and we are all slow, to learn the truth, that "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Our Lord's mind was turned to this bread, the bread which supplies a spiritual existence. For what, if the bread on which men feed is poisoned? And it was poisoned by the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod. By their perversion of truth; by their unwarranted traditions; by their formalities; by their hypocrisy; by their pretence of religion; and still worse, by the indifference to all religion of Herod and the Sadducees: by all these the heart was corrupted, when it ought to have been supported.

Such is the danger of all erroneous doctrine. It insinuates itself unawares, and the spiritual life, if not utterly destroyed, is deprived of all strength and vigour.

The best remedy of error is truth. And our Lord has pointed out the way in which the leaven of the Pharisees is to be avoided, when he declares, "I am the bread of life. I am the living bread

which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."5

"Lord, evermore give us this bread!"

LECTURE XCII.

A BLIND MAN RECEIVES A CURE.-NECESSITY OF SELF-DENIAL.

MARK Viii. 22-38.

22. And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

23. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw aught.

24. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

25. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

26. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

The method in which sight is here restored to the blind man, is not unlike the way in which spiritual blindness is sometimes dispersed and cured.

5 See John vi. 48, 51; 34.

There is often the same gradual disclosure of the truths belonging to salvation.

The man who saw men as trees, walking, was very far from having such use of sight, as was safe or necessary for him. But still he was in a much better state than that in which Jesus found him. He saw something. And it is well, when a man has begun to see something respecting the soul; something beyond himself, and the present world, and the notions which are current in the world. It is a sign that "the Spirit of Christ" has touched him. There is reason to hope, that, in the end, he will see things clearly; will see that this world is a passage to eternity; see that Christ is the door of heaven; see that faith in Him, is the key that opens it; see that holiness is the road along which he must walk, that he may be admitted into the kingdom of God at last.

This is to look up; to be restored to that state which Adam lost; to see every thing clearly. When this is perceived, "the eye is single, and the whole body shall be full of light."

27. And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns Matt. xvi. of Cesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his dis- 13-28. ciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?

28. And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.

29. And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

30. And he charged them that they should tell no man of

him.

31. And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and

Luke ix.

18-27.

of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

32. And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

33. But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

34. And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow

me.

35. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

36. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

37. Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

By considering the whole of this passage together, we perceive most clearly its meaning and its appli

cation.

Jesus had declared, more explicitly than on any former occasion, the things which were appointed for him to suffer. He spake that saying openly.

Peter could not bear the thought. He took him, and began to rebuke him, "saying, Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee." This Jesus severely resented, saying to Peter that he was acting the part of Satan, and throwing a stumblingblock in his way; that his mind was not conformed

1 See Matt. xvi. 22.