they should loose [i.e., allow] on earth should be allowed in heaven.* Our Lord's Prediction of His Sufferings and Death. Read St. Matt. xvi. 21-23. Compare St. Mark viii. 31-33. Commentary and Explanation.-From the time when Our Lord was acknowledged as the Messiah, He began to speak to His disciples of the sufferings which He was about to undergo at Jerusalem. They were to learn the lesson which was stated plainly enough in the Old Testament Scriptures, but which had been commonly overlooked or forgotten, that Christ must needs suffer, i.e., that the Messiah must be, not as the Jews expected, a victorious king, but one 'despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief' (Isaiah liii. 3). St. Peter, elated by the promises which had followed upon his confession of belief, could not bear to think of his Lord as one rejected and suffering; Be it far from Thee, Lord, he said, this shall not be unto Thee. But Our Lord sternly rebuked him for his interference. He spoke to him, as He had spoken to the Tempter in the wilderness, Get thee behind me, Satan. St. Peter, foremost of the Apostles as he was, was doing the Tempter's work by counselling ease in place of pain, and thinking of victory rather than of suffering. His speech savoured not the things that be of GOD, i.e., it was not in accordance with God's will and purpose, which puts the Cross before the Crown; it represented rather the counselling of human wishes and selfish inclination. In the verses that follow, Our Lord teaches us that those who would be His disciples must be prepared to practice selfdenial and to undergo suffering, as He did. Ease and comfort and selfish pleasures are nothing to be accounted of in comparison with the true life which is lived by those who follow Christ. May GOD help us all-teachers and scholars alike-to conform our lives more nearly to that Pattern Life of unselfishness and love which we have been studying through the year! Questions.-What question did Our Lord put to His disciples at Cæsarea Philippi? What was the object of this question? [To draw from them a confession of His Messiahship.] How had Our Lord been engaged, just before asking this question? [Praying-no doubt seeking guidance and help from His Heavenly Father, with reference to His future teaching of His *The admirably clear and exhaustive notes on these verses in Bishop Walsham How's 'Commentary on the Gospels' (S.P.C.K.) should by all means be read by the Teacher before giving a Lesson on this difficult passage. disciples.] What did Our Lord's disciples say were the opinions commonly held as to who He was? [St. Matt. xvi. 14.] What question did Our Lord then put to them? Who answered this question? What was his answer? [St. Matt. xvi. 16.] What is the meaning of the word Christ? [The Anointed, the same as the Hebrew Messiah.] What did St. Peter mean by saying of Our Lord that He was the Son of the living GOD? [That He was no mere man, but truly GOD.] What did Our Lord say with reference to this confession made by St. Peter? [St. Matt. xvi. 17.] What is the meaning of the words flesh and blood hath not revealed it? [It was a truth which St. Peter had not learnt by his own intellect, or from any earthly teacher, but from GOD.] What was the promise made to St. Peter as the reward of his faith? [v. 18.] In what sense was the Church of Christ built on St. Peter? [St. Peter was the foremost of the Apostles, upon whom, as a foundation, the Church of Christ was built-Eph. ii. 20.] What further promise did Our Lord make to St. Peter? [v. 19.] What instances have we of St. Peter using the keys of the kingdom of heaven? [He opened the kingdom of heaven to the 3,000 who were baptised on the day of Pentecost, after his preaching (Acts ii.), and to the household of Cornelius (Acts x.): he closed it against Simon the Sorcerer (Acts viii. 21).] What was the subject of Our Lord's teaching immediately after the declaration of His Messiahship? [St. Matt. xvi. 21.] How did St. Peter receive this teaching? [v. 13.] How did Our Lord rebuke St. Peter? [v. 33.] What was the ground of so severe a rebuke? [St. Peter suggested that Our Lord should refuse the path of suffering, and so fail in the work which He came into the world to perform.] What is the lesson which Our Lord would teach us? [St. Matt. xvi. 24.] How may we deny ourselves, and take up the cross? · [By seeking, not our own will, but God's will; by giving up things that we like for the sake of others; by patiently bearing any crosses or trials that GOD may be pleased to send us.] What is the reward which Our Lord promises to those who thus act? [Whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.] What does this mean? [That unselfishness brings the truest happiness; those who are willing to give up self for the sake of Christ shall have as their reward something far better than that which they give up.] HYMN. Hymns Ancient and Modern. No. 263. a Course of Sunday School Lessons on Christian Principles and Church Seasons. By the Rev. Prebendary OTTEY, Diocesan Inspector for London. Price 1s. 6d. This book is a re-issue, in One Volume, of the Thirteen Monthly Parts of THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS published by the National Society in the year 1881. THE TYPES AND ANTITYPES OF HOLY SCRIPTURE. Collected and arranged, with References, by Lady MARY HERBERT. Edited by the Hon. and Very Rev. the DEAN OF HEREFORD. Price 6d. Adapted for use in the London Diocesan Inspector's Classes for the Instruction of Pupil Teachers. THE APOSTLES' CREED; being Notes of Lectures to Pupil Teachers. By H. G. 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