23. And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, 24. He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. 25. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. "The best friend is an atmosphere A.D. 28. Autumn. CAPERNAUM. SECOND YEAR. THE RULER'S Wherein we breathe the large free breath Our friend is an unconscious part A strength, a growth, whence we derive "As we meet and touch each day "Oh! touch the hem of His garment -G. F. Root. 22. THY FAITH HATH MADE THEE WHOLE.-Take the case of a person saved from drowning by means of a rope thrown to him. The man who threw the rope may be said to have saved him, or the rope, or his grasping hold of the rope. So we may say that God saves, or Jesus saves, or faith saves, and all be true. 24. LAUGHED HIM TO SCORN.-Kareyέhwv, from кará, down from, as from a height, and yɛháw, to laugh—to laugh down upon one as basely inferior; or Kará, against--to laugh against one-expressing hostility. 25. TOOK HER BY THE HAND, saying, Talitha Cumi, in the common dialect of the country. "Talitha, maiden,' is in its root a va 26. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land. riation of the word for a little lamb. How exquisite from the lips of the Good Shepherd, who gave his life for the sheep."-Chadwick. "THE TOUCHES OF JESUS, like his miracles, were at the same time acted parables or dramatic lessons. Glance at some of these instances of parable-touches, and see how significant they were. For example, there was the touch of encouragement when he took Peter by the hand; the touch of affection when he laid his hands on the little children and blessed them; the touch of instruction when he touched the ears and tongue of the deaf stammerer of Decapolis; the touch of sympathy in the case of the unclean leper. This touching of his makes Him a very Gospel." -Condensed from George D. Boardman, D.D. LIBRARY.-Longfellow's poem, "She is not Dead, the Child of our Affection." TALITHA CUMI. "Our little one was sick, and the sickness pressed her sore. We sat beside her bed, and we felt her hands and head, And in our hearts we prayed this one prayer o'er and o'er: 'Come to us, Christ the Lord; utter thine old-time word, 'Talitha cumi!' And as the night wore on, and the fever flamed more high, 'O Lord of love and might, say once again to-night And then, and then-he came; we saw him not, but felt. And he bent above the child, and she ceased to moan, and smiled And although we heard no sound, as around the bed we knelt, Our souls were made aware of a mandate in the air, Talitha cumi!' And as at dawn's fair summons faded the morning star, And with him took her way to a country far away; And we would not call her dead, for it was his voice that said -Susan Coolidge. 'Talitha cumi!'" 27. And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. 28. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. A.D. 28. Autumn. CAPERNAUM. SECOND YEAR. THE TWO BLIND MEN. PICTURES. Raising Jairus' Daughter, Richter, Hoffmann, Doré. REFERENCE. See on xx. 30-34. 27. Two BLIND MEN.-Mr. Ruskin says that "the greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something, and to tell what it sees in a plain way. Hundreds of people can talk for one who can think; but thousands can think for one who can see. Το see clearly is poetry, prophecy, and religion all in one." If one can THE BLIND BOY'S EXPERIENCE.-" A little boy was born blind. At last an operation was performed--the light was let in slowly, When one day his mother led him out of doors and uncovered his eyes, and for the first time he saw the sky and the earth. 'Oh, mother,' he cried, 'why did you Blessings of Sight. not tell me it was so beautiful?' She burst into tears, and said, 'I tried to tell you, dear, but you could not understand me.' So it is when we try to tell what is in Christ. Unless the spiritual sight is opened by the Holy Spirit we cannot understand." -London Sunday-School Chronicle. Aristotle's FIRST SIGHT of the SunlighT.--Aristotle, in one of his works, fancies the feelings of one who, having lived in darkness all his life, should for the first time behold the rising of the sun. He might have had some idea of the world from the light of candles or of moon and stars; but when the sun rose, what new glories would burst on his vision! How much more beautiful, more perfect, far-reaching than he could have conceived! The dangers, too, would be shown in clearer light, as well as the safe roads. Like this was the coming of Christ to the world, “a dayspring from 29. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. 30. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. 31. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. on high." Like this is the opening of the eyes of the soul by the presence of Christ. 29. ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH.-The three arrows of Joash, 2 Kings xiii. 14-19; the poor widow's oil, 2 Kings iv. 1-7. Ruskin's "Modern Painters," Vol. V., pp. 362-365. 30. AND THEIR EYES WERE OPENED.-There are three ways in which Christ opens the eyes of the blind in modern times: First. By the blind asylums, their relieving power, and the training they can give to the blind, under the influence of the Gospel. Second. THE TRIUMPHS OF THE BLIND, in spite of their blindness. Witness Helen Keller, deaf, dumb and blind, but at the age of 16 able to pass the Harvard examinations for Radcliffe College; witness Milton, the poet and statesman; Kitto, the traveler and author, throwing much light on the Bible; Prescott, the historian; Faucett, the blind statesman discussing in Parliament the intricacies of finance and conducting the most laborious executive department; Herreshoff, the blind boat-builder designing the finest yachts; Huber, the blind entomologist making scientific discoveries. Third. SPIRITUAL INSIGHT: "And when a damp Fell round the path of Milton, in his hand "On my bended knee I recognize thy purpose clearly shown; My vision thou hast dimmed, that I may see "Visions come and go, Shapes of resplendent beauty round me throng; From angel lips I seem to hear the flow Of soft and holy song." -Miss E. Lloyd on Milton's Blindness. 32. As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. 33. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake : and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. 34. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. A.D. 28. Autumn. SECOND YEAR. 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. THE EYE OINTMENT.-"In the Arabian Nights' tales, there is a story of a remarkable ointment which, if rubbed on the eye, makes one see all the riches in the world; the gold hidden in the mines, the diamonds treasured in secret places. Macaulay, the great English writer, said that education is like that ointment, opening the eyes to see so much more."-President Seth Low. and Dark. MAX MULLER proposes the classification of people into bright eyes and dark eyes. He means by bright eyes, people who see all that is bright and good; by dark eyes, those Bright Eyes who see nothing but what is dark and bad. He thinks we are all born with bright eyes, and that it is as we get spoiled by worldly experience that they grow dim and dark. LIBRARY.-Wordsworth's poem on "Milton's Blindness"; Miss Elizabeth Lloyd's poem on the same; Longfellow's "Blind Bartimeus." REFERENCE. See on xx. 30-34. 35. THE VALE OF TEARS.-Few collections of paintings have produced so great an effect upon me at the first view as Doré's magnificent Christian pictures in London, and especially the last picture he finished, just before his death, "The Vale of Tears." At the head of a deep valley stands Christ, and all the light of the picture shines from him. All kinds of human suffering are gathered there for him to heal. The lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the sick are restored. A dying mother holds out her child to him, conquerors |