begun with prayer: certainly not because He had to ask, but for example's sake: For He gave us a pattern for imitation, but did not need the petition of prayer. And as the doctors of the law came together from every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem, the healing of this paralytic is described amongst the cures of other sick persons. First of all, as we have said before, every one who is sick, ought to get persons to pray that he may recover his health, persons by whom the enfeebled frame of our life, and the lame gait of our conduct, may be renewed by the medicine of the heavenly word.

Ry. Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you: * that ye should go, and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. Al. Al. V. As the FATHER hath sent Me, even so send I you. That. Ben. The Divine Help.

Lesson II.

THERE should be therefore some counsellors of the mind, to raise the soul of man to higher things, albeit enfeebled by the weakness of the outward body. By their aid it is easy for him to lift himself up, and to lower himself, that he may be placed before JESUS: fit to be looked on by the countenance of the LORD. For the LORD hath a regard to lowliness, inasmuch as He regarded the lowliness

of His handmaiden. When He beheld their faith, He said, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. Great is the LORD, Who forgiveth some, for the merits of others and, whilst approving some, pardons the sins of others. Why, O man, should thine equal not prevail with thee? when a servant has the

LEARN, thou who judgest, to forgive: learn, thou who art sick, to intreat. If thou doubtest of pardon for thy heavy offences, summon interceders, summon the Church to pray for thee, looking upon which, the LORD may pardon what He would have denied thee. And although we ought not to lay aside our trust in the narration, but ought truly to believe that the body of that paralytic man was healed, nevertheless observe the cure

of that inner man whose sins were forgiven. When the Jews allege that sins can be forgiven by GoD alone, they at once confess Him to be God; and by their own judgment they betray their own faithlessness, in that they lay stress on the work, and yet deny the person.

Te Deum. p. 15.

EMBER SATURDAY.