a far greater danger than even the weight and burthen of sin, provided we long to be freed from it, provided we go to the Saviour to learn of him how to find rest, and pardon, and peace. Prayer. O my Saviour and my God, I owe thee a great debt of obedience, of love, and of faithful service, but I have nothing to pay, for my nature is unclean, and I cannot serve thee as I would. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, (Isaiah lxiv. 6,) when compared to that holiness of heart and life which become thy children. Teach me this; impress upon me the greatness of the debt I owe thee, that I may seek thee with earnest desire to hear from thee that thou dost forgive me all. O let my love be great as my sin and danger, great as thy free mercy, and as the salvation thou hast wrought for us. "Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways." (Isaiah lxiv. 5.) And I would serve thee with gladness of heart, for thou art my Saviour and my Redeemer. I would remember thee at all times, and in all places, in sorrow, and in joy. I would serve thee with the best of my substance, in thankfulness of heart. Much has been forgiven me, O grant to me thy holy Spirit, that I may love thee much. Amen. XXIV. MATTHEW IX. LUKE VIII. After this the Lord Jesus made another circuit, that is, he went round through the towns and villages of Galilee. St. Matthew says MATTHEW ix. 35. "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people." St. Luke says― LUKE viii. 1-3. "And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve (apostles) were with him, And certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene,* out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance." Wherever He went, He carried with him blessings for the souls and bodies of men. For our sakes He had become poorHe had nothing of his own-" for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor; that ye through his poverty might be rich." 2 Cor. viii. 9. And many of those to whom He had given blessings to the soul and blessings to the body, were glad to shew that they "loved" him " much" by going with him, and providing for his wants, and the wants of his disciples out of their abundance. It is pleasant to see, that among the pious women who did this, was Joanna the wife of Chuza, king Herod's steward. There is no place from which the word and power of God can * Many have supposed that Mary Magdalene was the woman we have just read of, who had been a known sinner, and who washed her Saviour's feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair; but there is nothing in Scripture to prove this, and much that seems to prove them to be quite different persons. It is not likely that one who had been of known bad character should be the companion of respectable women, particularly of the wife of an officer of rank in Herod's palace. This Mary was probably called Magdalene, from Magdala, a town in Galilee, which was most likely her native place. be shut out; and, amidst the dangers and temptations of the court of the tyrant Herod and his wicked wife, the gospel of Jesus Christ had reached and changed the heart of Joanna. She is named among "certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities," therefore we may believe that some bodily distress had fallen upon her, and that this was the means of bringing her acquainted with Christ the Saviour. How often this is so! How often do we see those who are rich in this world's goods, unable to enjoy any thing because of constant illness! And this very illness is the greatest blessing of all. Without it they would have been worldly-minded, proud, and vain; but God in this way teaches them how entirely they are in his hands, and fixes their attention upon his holy word, to which they would not have listened, had they not so much needed help and comfort; and in this way they are, like Joanna, made ready and willing to follow Christ, and to minister 66 I unto him of their substance." The Saviour is gone from earth, but his cause still remains, and we who have received from him so many blessings for our souls and bodies, are still called upon to shew our grateful love by forwarding his work in every way we can. He is now at the right hand of his Father's throne; but the gospel of his kingdom should still be preached in every city and in every village. Still disciples of the Lord Jesus go into far-off places, among our own people in the Colonies, and among the heathen, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. Every where this work has been helped forward by pious women, who have given up their time and their talents, to the work of spreading the knowledge of Christ among those who knew him not. In the accounts that year by year come home of all that is doing in these distant lands, we read of women teaching in the schools, of Missionaries' wives who share in all the labours and anxieties of their husbands, and thus we see that there is still in Christian hearts the spirit of grateful love that made Mary, called Magdalene, and Joanna, and Susanna, and many others, follow Christ and his disciples to minister to their wants. Few women are called upon to leave their homes, and to go into foreign lands to help forward the cause of Christ. Nothing but a clear case of duty ought to make them do so, for they should remember how plainly their usual line of duty is pointed out in God's word, where St. Paul in giving the character of Christian women, says, that they should be "keepers at home;" but at home they may help forward the cause of Christ, they may spread the glad tidings of his kingdom among the poor, the young, the ignorant. If they are rich, they may give of their abundance to help those servants of Christ, who are sent into far foreign countries to spread the glad tidings of His gospel, and who, like their Lord, have nothing of their own of this world's riches. If they are poor, they may still of their poverty give a little—and how greatly is that little blest! Perhaps nothing would astonish the poor so much as to know the greatness of the sums of money that are raised by the pence they give, and surely it must cheer the Christian man and woman, who of their hard-earned wages spare a little to the cause of Christ-to know that they are joining with Him in overcoming the kingdom of Satan and in bringing back into the family of God this fair world and all that are in it. This is the cause for which Christ lived and died. Great as it is, even little children can help it forward, and many would be surprised to know the quantity of money that every year is sent abroad, to help the Missionaries, from the small stores of little children. Surely the blessed Saviour, who accepted, for himself and His disciples, the assistance of those pious women that followed him, will kindly smile upon the grateful love of a little child, who spares from his pleasures that he may give something to help forward the cause of Christ his Lord. This cause must be dear to every heart that has felt the power of his tender loving-kindness. Oh let us all join together to minister unto him of our time and of our substance. Prayer. O blessed Lord, we are weak and feeble creatures: give us that willingness of heart, that devotedness of spirit that shall make us rejoice in every opportunity, in every means, of helping forward thy kingdom. Thou didst create the world and all that is in it by a word, and by a word thou couldst establish thy kingdom; it is of thy goodness and love to thy children, that thou dost condescend to use them as instruments by which thy work is done. Grant that in every city and village, in every lonely dwelling, the glad tidings of the kingdom of God may be preached, till thy promise is accomplished, that "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea," (Hab. ii. 14.) for Christ's sake. Amen. MATT. XII. 22. MARK III. 19. LUKE XI. 14. The Lord Jesus returned to Capernaum, and there He met with a greater and a more trying persecution than before. Now, his friends as well as his enemies seem to have been against him. Some of his relations appear to have believed, or to have pretended to believe, that He was out of his senses. written that on his return He and his followers MARK iii. 19-21. It is "Went into an house. And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard of it, they |