Am I careful to make my prayers according to that which God approves?

Do I feel sure that if what I pray for is only according to my own wishes, to have those requests granted would turn out a curse rather than a blessing?

VII. HEADS FOR PRAYER.

1. Pray to be kept in a state of watchfulness against the power of Satan, and a constant dependance upon Christ to enable you to overcome him?

2. Pray for the spirit of a sound mind, to make you see the difference between the evil which Satan produces, and the permission of God in allowing it; and to enable you to find out and fulfil the good which God works out of every evil.

3. Pray that your heart may not only be freed from the power of evil spirits, but also filled with the love of Christ; and that every instance of his love which you know, may teach you to value the Gospel more for yourself.

4. Ask for a patient and contented spirit in expecting answers to your prayers; and especially that you may be kept from praying for any thing except what is according to God's will.

VIII. THE PRAYER.

[1] O merciful God, who didst send thy Son upon earth, that he might destroy the works of the devil; send through him I beseech thee the Holy Spirit into my heart, to keep me ever watchful against the devices of that evil one, and all who obey him. Give me thy whole armour, O God, that through faith in my Redeemer I may be able to overcome all the power of Satan. [2] Give me I pray thee the wisdom that is from above, that in the spirit of a sound mind, I may always know that Satan is the author of all evil, and that thou art wise in permitting that evil, in order to bring forth thine own good thereby. Make me to be like unto thee in desiring to bring good out of evil, and strengthen me to do so whenever thou givest me the occasion. [3] I

beseech thee, gracious God, let me not rest satisfied in being taken from the power of the evil one; but do thou fill up my heart which he has left with the love of Jesus Christ my Saviour: and whenever I hear of Christ's power in turning sinners from the love of their sins, may it be a fresh occasion of rejoicing in the blessings of thy Gospel for myself. [4] Give me a faithful spirit of prayer, and patience to wait thine own time in answering my prayers. Give me humbleness of mind in expecting thine answers, and contentedness to receive them in the way thou shalt appoint. Grant me grace especially to know thy will concerning all I desire, and to ask only such things as shall be pleasing in thy sight, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. AMEN.

Our Father, &c.

SEVENTY-EIGHTH PORTION.

1. 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 SCRIPTURES.

Read St. Mark's Gospel, chap. v. ver. 21, and St. Luke's Gospel, chap. viii. ver. 40, and St. Matthew's Gospel, chap. ix. v. 10 to 17.

III. THE MEANINGS;

For the meaning of some words used in this portion, see page 29.

IV. THE EXPLANATION.

It was about six miles across the lake of Gennesareth; so that when our Lord set sail from the shore of Gadara with his disciples, it would not be very long before he arrived at Capernaum. When the boat came to land there, a great number of people were already on the beach, waiting to receive him. Probably they had been alarmed, for fear the boat might have been lost in the storm which had occurred during the night (see portion 76, page 267), and were come to the shore to enquire what had happened; so that when they saw him come back safely, they were all greatly delighted.

VOL. II.

X

Jesus went from the boat to "the house", which most probably means that were he usually lodged when he was at Capernaum. (Matt. xiii. 36.) Here he partook of the morning-meal with his disciples; and while they were sitting at breakfast, a considerable number of people came into the house, and amongst them were many tax-gatherers, and other persons who were commonly considered as bad characters. Some of these (who perhaps might have been acquaintances of the disciples) laid down upon the couch round the table, and joined the meal. (see page 144.) Upon this occasion some of the Pharisees who were present, twitted the disciples about their Master's mixing at meals with publicans and sinners; just in the same way as other Pharisees had done, at the great supper which Levi (or Matthew) had given to our Lord, upon the occasion of his being called to follow him as a disciple. As these Pharisees put the same question, our Lord gave them the same answer as he had done to the former ones; adding only an application of that text in the prophet Hosea, (vi. 6.) which he had also before applied, upon another occasion, to those persons who had found fault with him for breaking the Sabbath. (see Matt. xii. 7, por. 49, p. 60.) It so happened that, immediately after this, some of the disciples of John the Baptist made the same enquiry of Jesus concerning fasting, which had also been made when our Lord was at Levi's supper. Our Lord answered these persons likewise in nearly the same words he had before used. All this has been particularly explained already, when the account of Matthew's supper was given ; and therefore instead of repeating that explana

tion here, it is better to refer to the former one, which will suit this portion of Scripture as well as that. (see 46th portion, pages 30-33.)

As the circumstances related in this portion are so nearly the same as those which happened before, it perhaps may be necessary to explain how we know them to have taken place on different occasions; particularly as the scripture which relates them is in St. Matthew's Gospel, and comes immediately after his own call to be a disciple of Jesus. St. Matthew however, says nothing about the supper which he himself gave; the account of which we learn from St. Mark and St. Luke. But he plainly says that the questions, both of the Pharisees and of John's disciples, took place at a meal just before Jesus was called to cure the dying daughter of the ruler. (chap. ix. ver. 18.) This (we know from St. Mark and St. Luke) happened at the time of his return from Gadara. Hence it

is quite plain, that they could not have happened at the supper which Matthew had given six months before. If any body should think it strange that the circumstances should be so nearly alike, they should remember that it was now become a common thing for the Pharisees to reproach Jesus for joining the company of publicans and sinners (Luke vii. 34.): and that therefore such a reproach was very likely to be repeated over and over again. Besides, upon reading the account of the first occasion (Mark ii. 15–22. Luke v. 26 -39.), and then reading the account of the second occasion (Matt. ix. 10-17) it will be seen that they were different in several points. The first was "a great feast in Levi's own house:" the second was a common meal "in the house." To the first, the