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UR Lord was in the constant habit of illustrating His doctrines and explaining His precepts by parables,

figures, and similitudes, adapted from the circumstances and occasions near at hand. Having given a variety of instructions, some of them of a new and trying kind to human nature, He showed the danger and the ruin of learning without practising them, by the parable here recited: 'Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand; and

the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.'-MATT. vii.

OUT the doctrine of our Lord was not only illustrated

by parables, but His divine authority as a teacher

was abundantly proved and sustained by miracles. 'And when Jesus. was entered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a centurion, beseeching Him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my

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roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the self-same hour.'-MATT. viii.

miracles which Jesus wrought continually before

the eyes of His disciples, their faith in Him appears, nearly up to the time of His death, to have been feeble and wavering. There was, no doubt, much of the

national temper in this. The Jewish mind was naturally more inflexible and perverse in the matter of belief than that of the Gentiles generally. Our Lord had repeated occasion to reprove the infidelity even of His own disciples, and to commend the faith of Gentiles, as He did in the case of the centurion just related. And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep. And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And He said unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!'-MATT. viii.

HE Redeemer, in His works of power and mercy as

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well as in His discourses, had to contend not only

with the hesitating weakness of His disciples, but with the open malice of unbelieving, envious, and enraged enemies amongst the higher orders of Jewish society. 'And, behold, they brought to Him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said. within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith He to the sick of the palsy), Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose,