FIFTY-EIGHTH PORTION.

I. BEGINNING PRAYER.

MAY GOD, for the sake of JESUS CHRIST, give me the HOLY SPIRIT, that I may understand this portion of his Holy Word, and profit by it. AMEN.

II. THE SCRIPTURE.

Read St. Matthew's Gospel, chap. xi. ver.20 to 30.

III. THE MEANINGS;

or sense of some words as used in this portion, MATTHEW Xi. verse

20. upbraid means here reproach, find fault

Our Lord had shewn the importance of John the Baptist's ministry, in preparation for His own, and also the waywardness of the people who lived

at that time, in neglecting both the one and the other. (See the last portion.) He then went on to apply more particularly what he had said, by reproaching the inhabitants of those places where he had performed so many miracles; because, though they had so many opportunities of seeing His power and hearing His doctrine, they would not give up their hearts to the belief of what He said, nor turn from their evil ways. He named two Jewish towns, Chorazin, and Bethsaida, and said, that misery would come upon the inhabitants; for he had done wonderful miracles there, which had no proper effect upon the people. If He had gone to the cities of Tyre and Sidon (two places where there was a great deal of wickedness, but where the people being heathens, had not been taught to worship God and to read the Old Testament, as the Jews had)-and had performed some of the same miracles amongst the inhabitants of those towns, our Lord declared that they would not have been inattentive so long as the Jews had, but would have turned to God, and shewn their repentance in the manner usual in those days; such as laying aside their fine clothes, and covering themselves with coarse cloth, and putting ashes upon their heads. He added a fearful warning to those Jews, telling them that their punishment would be more severe, at the day of judgement, than the punishment of the people of Tyre and Sidon.

He then spoke of the inhabitants of Capernaum, where he had taken up his abode for so long; (Matt. iv. 13.) and said that they were proud people, and fancied themselves of great consequence; but that they should be humbled,

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and punished for their pride. He had done many miracles amongst them; and he said that if such miracles had been done in the wicked city of Sodom, it would not have been necessary to have destroyed it for many people, however far gone in sin and wickedness, would have been turned from their evil ways in consequence of seeing those mighty works and we know that, if God had found only ten righteous in it, He would not have sent fire to consume it, and so it would still have remained. (Gen. xviii. 20-33; xix. 1-29.) Our Lord added the same terrible warning with respect to Capernaum, which He had spoken concerning the two other cities; declaring that, at the day of judgment, the punishment of the people of Sodom would be more easy to be borne than that which should come upon the inhabitants of Capernaum.

While Jesus was thus shewing the terrible consequences of the pride of these people who were rejecting him, He well knew the thoughts which passed in the minds of those who heard him. And for the purpose of answering the secret objections of persons who might think it strange, that so many of the learned priests should, in spite of his miracles, be opposed to his doctrine, He made a short prayer of thanksgiving to God the Father, which explained the reason why this happened. He thanked his Father, whom he called "Lord of heaven and earth", thus bringing to remembrance that He was Master to do as He chose : and the reason of his thankfulness was, that God had been pleased to set forth the great things concerning the salvation by Christ, in such a manner, that people who fancied themselves wise and learned, could not understand them by their own

VOL. II.

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wisdom (1 Cor. i. 19-21.); and yet that He has been pleased to make them appear plain and easy to those persons who humble themselves, and believe in simplicity what God declares; just as little children receive the instruction of their parents. (Matt. xviii. 3, 4. John iii. 3. 1 Cor. i. 26 to 29.) The reason why this was so, our Lord declares to be simply because God thought it right that so it should be.

After thus addressing the Father, Jesus spoke to the people around him, and declared that God the Father had placed all things in his hand. He said also that none could understand his wonderful nature, as the Son of God, but God the Father himself. Nor can any understand the nature of God the Father, but Jesus himself; and those persons to whom Jesus is pleased to make these mysteries appear plain. (Matt. xxviii. 18. Luke x. 21, 22. John iii. 35. Heb. ii. 8, 9.)

Our Lord having thus declared that there was no means of obtaining the true knowledge of God, except through himself, opened the way for all persons to get that right understanding, by giving a general invitation to come to Him. He said. that all persons who were distressed so as to be burthened, might come to him, and he would relieve them of that which troubled them. He bid them enter into his service, and follow his teaching and his example; because he was "meek and lowly in heart:" and that by so doing, their souls should obtain peace.

The service of the Lord Jesus Christ is not a hard service; the work and duty that he requires of his people is light and pleasant to perform. (John xiv. 27 ; xvi. 33. 1 John v. 3.),

V. THE REPETITION.

Now read again the Scripture: 'see No. II.

VI THE APPLICATION.

1. The way in which our Lord reproached the inhabitants of those places where He had given the greatest proofs of His power, carries with it a direct application to all who have opportunities of being instructed in the knowledge of His gospel. This may be said to be the case generally all over England; which is a country so blessed, as to religious instruction, that every Englishman may be said to have greater religious advantages than the people of almost any other nation. Some may be more favoured than others, owing to particular circumstances; but whoever has got his Bible, and the power of reading it, has got the true account of the mighty works which Christ did in the towns here spoken of: and those persons who do not profit by what they read in their Bibles, can hardly expect to escape a woe like that which our Lord said should come upon the inhabitants of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum.

The public worship of Almighty God—the regular instruction through the ministry the Sacraments which Christ has appointed—and the proofs of God's working through all these means, which are often seen in the great change of conduct that takes place when sinners are brought under the influence of the truth as it is in Jesus-all these things, now in the days when the Holy Spirit has come from on high, may be said to be "mighty works" of Christ: and if any who have these advantages do not feel that true repentance which they are fitted to produce, their condemnation.