of God,-not merely a spectacle of corruption. And Jesus lifted up, etc.,— His prayer was not like that recorded in 2 Kings iv. 33-35, or Acts ix. 40, for power to work the miracle; this He had in Himself: as is afterwards explained, it was offered for our instruction. And I knew, etc.,probably spoken in a lower tone, and after a pause, for the disciples' ears only. With a loud voice.-Compare 1 Thess. iv. 16. Came forth, bound hand and foot,-grave-clothes were either wrapped loosely about him, or each limb had its separate bandage, so that Lazarus could move, but not freely.

CAIAPHAS' PROPHECY.-V. 45–54. Believed on Him.-Compare John viii. 30; these were influenced by His work, as those by His word. Went their ways, -their hearts departing from Jesus as well as their bodies. What do we ?-We must do something very decisive to counteract this man's many miracles. The Romans, etc.-This they really feared. The Romans might regard the general adhesion to Christ (John vi. 15) as rebellion against themselves, and punish the rulers for permitting it. Our place, the temple, Acts vi. 13, 14; xxi. 28. That same year,-at that time, when he uttered the prophecy. Ye know nothing at all,-thus he arrogantly rebukes the indecision and vacillation of his colleagues. Caiaphas was a bad man, but a bold one. One should die, etc., it is better to put Jesus to death, than to run the risk of conflict with the Romans. Prophesied,-as Balaam, a bad man, had done. See Matt. vii. And not, etc.,-a comment added by St. John, 1 John ii. 2. Gather..abroad. -See John x. 16. They took counsel

together, in accordance with Caiaphas' advice, Ps. ii. 1. No more,—rather, "not yet; " He showed Himself at the next passover. His withdrawal was not the effect of fear, but because His hour was not yet come. Ephraim,-the site of this town is not certainly known; probably it was about sixteen miles from Jerusalem, and five or six east of Bethel.

REFLECTIONS. 1. The inevitable destiny of our bodies.-They must see corruption.

2. As soon as the soul leaves the body it begins to decay,-so the soul without the Holy Spirit, Who is its life, is dead, a prey to spiritual corruption.

3. Jesus requires from us all the help we are able to render Him.-He would have others tell Him where the grave was, roll the stone away, and loose the grave-clothes. But

4. The work that man is unable to perform, He will accomplish Himself.He raised Lazarus Himself, because no other could do it.

5. Unbelief is harder to conquer than death.-Illustrate from the Lesson.

QUESTIONS.-With what question does our Lesson open? What did the askers mean? What sort of a grave was Lazarus buried in? What command did Christ give when He reached it? What objection did Martha make? Christ's reply! What followed ? Why did Christ pray? What did He do next? the effect? How could Lazarus come forth if He was bound hand and foot with graveclothes? Why did not Jesus roll away the stone, and loose the wrappings Himself? What was the effect of the miracle upon those who witnessed it? What question did the Pharisees discuss in council? Were they really afraid of the Romans? why? How was the difficulty solved? What decision did the council arrive at ? Whither did Jesus go? why!

Illustrations.

1. "Of Lazarus himself we have but one further notice, (John xii. 2,) but that, like the command to give meat to the revived maiden, (Mark v. 43,) like the Lord's own participation of food after the resurrection, (Luke xxiv. 42; John xxi. 13,) is a witness against anything merely phantastic in his rising again. He is generally assumed to have been much younger than his sisters; one tradition mentioned by Epiphanius, makes him thirty years old at this time, and to have survived for thirty years more. The traditions of his later life, as that he became bishop of Marseilles, rest upon no good authority; yet there is one circumstance of these traditions worthy of record, although not for its historic worth, that the first question he asked the Lord after he was come back from the grave, was whether he should have to die again, and learning that it must needs be so, that he never smiled any more."-Trench.

"Where wert thou, brother, those four days?'
There lives no record of reply,
Which, telling what it is to die,

Had surely added praise to praise.

"From every house the neighbours met,
The streets were fill'd with joyful sound;
A solemn gladness even crown'd

The purple brows of Olivet.

"Behold a man, raised up by Christ!
The rest remaineth unreveal'd;
He told it not, or something seal'd

The lips of that Evangelist."-In Memoriam.

AUGUST 11.-MORNING LESSON.
QUAILS AND MANNA.-Exodus xvi. 13–36.

SUMMARY.-In accordance with His promise, Jehovah provides His people with bread and flesh. The properties of the manna are described, and rules laid down for gathering it. By the command of God a specimen of it is preserved in the ark.

BREAD FROM HEAVEN.-Quails,—in size, appearance, and taste, are not unlike partridges. Flocks often pass over the desert in the early spring, the time of their coming to the Israelitish camp. The birds fly so low as to be easily knocked down with a stick. The miracle was in their unusual abundance, and the opportuneness of their arrival. It is manna,-literally, what is this? "This is the bread," etc., is the answer to this question. Comparing Num. xi. 7-9 with our Lesson, we find that God rained the manna from heaven, it fell in the night upon the dew; when the dew had dried up, it lay upon the ground like hoar-frost; in appearance it was "like scales,' or coriander-seed, transparent and bright as bdellium; its taste was like cake and honey; it could be grounded or crushed; if it were kept too long it bred worms and stank; the heat of the sun melted it. It fell in great quantities, for each Israelite gathered every day not less than a pound of it, for forty years. It was an altogether different thing from the product of the shrub now called manna. An omer-was the smallest Hebrew dry measure. It was supposed to hold the grains from one wheatsheaf, and probably contained about six pints. Them which are in his tents, -the very young, the aged, the sick,

etc. He that gathered much, etc.,—
either when they came to measure
the gathering, they found they had
picked no more than an omer for each
family, or they who had obtained more,
gave their superfluity to those who
had collected less. Bred worms and
stank, became not only uneatable, but
disgusting. Twice as much bread, etc.,-
it would appear that the people always
gathered all that fell; thus they had
on the sixth day gathered unconsciously
twice the usual amount. Ye shall not
find it, etc.-Mark the series of miracles:
a set quantity five days, double on the
sixth, none on the seventh; five days
the manna putrefied if it were kept
over night, the sixth it remained pure.
There went out some,-spite of the
unusual quantity of manna the previous
day, and of Moses' injunctions! Hath
given you the Sabbath,-the Sabbath had
been a recognized institution from the
time that God rested on the seventh
day; probably its sacredness had been
to a great extent forgotten during
the oppression in Egypt. Evidently
the Israelites understood to what Moses
referred. Abide ye every man in his
place,-i.e., go not out to gather. And
Moses said, etc.,-some time after the
erection of the tabernacle. Laid it up,
-in a golden pot, Heb. ix. 4. The
testimony,-Exod. xxv. 16, 21, 22.
Did eat manna,
until, etc.,-Joshua v.
An ephah-contained rather more
than seven gallons.

12.

REFLECTIONS.-1. All food is the gift of God.-To both man and beast He giveth meat in due season.

trust.

2. A lesson of temperance and of The Israelites might only gather so much, "every man according to his eating," and "a certain rate every day;" they must sleep at night without a morsel of food in the tent for the morning..

3. God will not release us from labour, -the people must pick the manna and catch the quails.

4. Read 2 Cor. viii. 14, 15. We should distribute of our abundance to those who are in want.

5 The manna is a type of Christ.See John vi. 31-35, 48-58, and Notes thereon. [The scholar can mark the

points of resemblance and contrast himself.]

6. The Lord God hath given us the Sabbath, let us be thankful for it, and employ it as He has directed.

QUESTIONS.-With what flesh were the Israelites supplied? What are quails? What does "manna" mean? Describe the properties of the manna. What regulations were made as to gathering it? How much is "an omer ?" "an ephah?" What was the reason of the double provision on the sixth day? How did Moses rebuke those who broke the Sabbath? How was a specimen of the manna preserved? when? What is "the Testimony?" How long did the Israelites eat manna?

AUGUST 11.-AFTERNOON LESSON.

UP TO JERUSALEM.-Luke ix. 51-62, with 2 Kings i. 5-12.
For repetition, Luke ix. 61, 62.

INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY.-Jesus, Who foresaw everything that should happen to Him, and foreknew the exact hour of His Passion, of His own free will begins His last journey to Jerusalem, that He may suffer there. Our last NewTestament Lesson left Him at Ephraim. Thence He travels to the Holy City, not by the shortest route, but going first through Samaria to Capernaum, and making His fourth circuit throughout Galilee. Some months, perhaps six, passed before Christ's arrival at Jerusalem. As the twelve disciples accompanied Jesus, it was necessary that warning should be given of their approach, that sufficient preparation might be made for feeding and lodging them. The inhabitants of a certain Samaritan village refuse to receive them, whereupon James and John propose to exterminate them by fire from heaven, as Elijah slew the soldiers sent by king Ahaziah to capture him. Jesus rebukes them, showing that His mission was not to destroy life, but to save.

During this journey from Ephraim to Capernaum, a certain man offers to follow Christ wherever He might go. Jesus replies to him in the very words He had before used to a certain scribe who had made a similiar promise, Matt. viii. 19. St. Luke adds an account of Christ's treatment of two other like cases.

FIRE FROM HEAVEN.-Luke ix. 5156.

The time was come,-was close at hand. Received up-to the Father; the

66

immediate reference is to His ascension
(Mark xvi. 19; Acts i. 2,) but it also
includes the suffering through which
He should pass to glory. Steadfastly set
His face, etc.,-resolutely determined to
reach Jerusalem, never swerving from
His purpose, and that despite the agony
He foresaw awaiting Him. Because
His face, etc.-John iv. 9. The bone
of contention was whether God should
be worshipped at Jerusalem, or on
Mount Gerizim. Christ was giving
open preference to the former. James
and John, possibly themselves the
66 messengers." They were called
sons of thunder," partly because of
their natural impetuosity and warmth
of temper, Mark iii. 17; and Note.
Lord, wilt Thou? etc., Mark the
singular mixture of love for, and
faith in Jesus, with passionate, re-
vengeful feelings. As Elias did,
the "hill" (2 Kings i. 9) was not far
from the "village," (ver. 52,) perhaps
it was this that suggested the idea to
the disciples. Ye know not what
manner of spirit ye are of,-ye are
Christians, and the spirit of Christianity
is not wrath and revenge, but meek-
ness, patience, and love. The spirit
ye are now manifesting has more of
personal pique and Jewish hatred of
the Samaritans, than of zeal for or
likeness to Myself. Not that Elijab

Illustration.

"They were not far from the place where Elijah called down fire from heaven upon the two captains and their fifties, sent to apprehend him, and they might think their wish to be revenged upon the Samaritans justified by his example. But the cases were not in the least parallel. The Jews, under their theocracy, were subject to a system of temporal rewards and punishments immediately inflicted or bestowed by Jehovah, their Governor. In this case the king had sent to apprehend God's prophet and representative, and had been guilty of a crime against the Divine Majesty, which was thus publicly punished. It was a case in which God Himself interposed to defend His servant by a signal vengeance upon a wicked prince and his servants. But, in the case of these erring disciples, the matter was one of national prejudice and personal resentment, and into such hands God would not put His thunderbolts. The genius of the Gospel is also

essentially different from that of the law. In the latter, civil government was blended with religion, and God acted as Judge; but under the Gospel we stand only in spiritual relations, and the time of judgment is deferred to one day, to be executed by that One Man whom God hath appointed."—Richard Watson.

AUGUST 18.-MORNING LESSON.

WATER OUT OF THE ROCK-A BATTLE.-Exodus xvii.