for the Gentiles also. How had she learnt this? How was it that this woman perceived in God's word a meaning which was hidden from the wise and learned? How was it that she was brought to Jesus by those same Scriptures which led others to reject him? Thus much we know-the opening of the understanding to understand the Scriptures cometh not by learning and mere cultivation of the intellectual powers. It is the gift of God. It is given to those who humble themselves before the Lord. So did this woman. It is given to those who pray and faint not. So prayed she. Affliction prepares us for it; and it was under a heavy dispensation of Providence that she was taught. Many there be, we trust, in every age, who are thus made wise unto salvation.

JESUS CURES ONE WHO WAS DEAF, AND HAD AN IMPEDIMENT IN HIS SPEECH.

Ver. 31-37.

And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; and were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

The expression this miracle called forth, he hath done all things well,' must be interpreted of our Lord's duly fulfilling the prophetic marks of the Messiah. Of these, none could have been more known than that, according to Isaiah, he was to cure the blind, the deaf, the dumb, and the lame.* That he should perform the miracle where the multitude could not see it, and even forbid its being published, may have been because the time was not yet come for so full a declaration of himself.

*Isaiah xxxv. 5, 6.

CHAPTER VIII.

JESUS FEEDS ABOUT FOUR THOUSAND PERSONS WITH SEVEN LOAVES AND A FEW SMALL FISHES.

Ver. 1-21.

In those days, the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: and if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away. And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among them

selves, saying, It is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

NOR the instruction of his disciples, as well as

FOR

for the relief of the multitude, Jesus, a second time, performs the miracle of feeding numbers with a few loaves and fishes in a desert place; and follows it up with a hint to them, to avoid the prejudiced view of God's dealings and promises exhibited in the conduct of the Pharisees. A connexion between the caution and the miracle is indicated by the words, 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.' The particular prejudice which they, on this occasion, betrayed, was that of being content with no sign, but the appearance of the Messiah in the sky. This they were led to expect by interpreting literally a figurative description of the Messiah's coming, which is contained in the book of Daniel.* It was one of the many mistakes, into which the Jews fell, under the teaching of their blind guides. Hence the severe rebukes with which he follows up a miracle, the effect of which, he knew, would be neutralized, in so many instances, by the leaven of the Pharisees.'

*Daniel vii. 13.

JESUS GIVES SIGHT TO A BLIND MAN.

Ver. 22-26.

And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any the town.

in

This miraculous cure of a blind man had an apparent allusion to the intellectual blindness, even of our Lord's disciples, which was noticed in the last section. In reference to this he had asked them, ' Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Twelve. And he said. unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?' The slow and gradual way, too, in which his miracle of healing the bodily infirmity of the blind man was performed, makes it the more apt type of his removing intellectual and spiritual blindness. At first, the blind man looks up, and sees men as trees. walking; and it is only in a further stage of the miracle that he sees plainly. Nothing, perhaps, more required to be impressed on their minds, than that while Jesus was commending their faith, and rewarding it by clearer and clearer revelation, they