S. The resurrection of the dead, more especially the resurrection of the body.

T. On what did St. Paul ground the truth of this great doctrine?

S. On the fact of the resurrection of Jesus from the grave in the same body in which He had been crucified.

T. What does St. Paul declare to be the ground of their faith?

S. The authorised teaching and witness of inspired prophets and apostles.

T. What was his own commission to teach?

S. He was 66 a chosen vessel" to bear God's name before the Gentiles. Acts, ix. 15.

T. Mention those who foretold our Lord's death, burial, and resurrection?

S. Isaiah said, "He was cut off out of the land of the living" (liii. 8), Daniel (ix. 26), that "Messiah shall be cut off; but not for himself;" David prophesied that He should not see corruption (Ps. xvi. 10); and, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Ps. cx. 1.

T. What evidence had the Apostles of the fulfilment of these prophecies ?

S. "He showed Himself alive (to them) after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." Acts, i. 3.

T. Mention some of His several appearances.

S. First to Mary Magdalene (Mark, xvi. 9), to Peter (Luke, xxiv. 34), to the women as they went to tell His disciples He was risen (Matt. xxviii. 9), to Cleopas and another disciple on their way to Emmaus (Luke, xxiv. 28– 30), to the eleven except Thomas (Luke, xxiv. 36), then to Thomas and the rest (John, xx. 23), to five hundred

believers at once at the ascension, to James the bishop of Jerusalem, and last of all, after His ascension, to St. Paul, both on the road to Damascus to convert him (Acts, ix. 27), and in the Temple (Acts, xxii. 17, 18).

T. How does St. Paul describe himself?

S." As the least of all the apostles, not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God;" "less than the least of all saints." Ephes. iii. 8.

T. What does he add with thankfulness?

S." 'By the grace of God I am what I am.”

T. What does he elsewhere declare concerning himself?

S. "I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles." 2 Cor. xi. 5.

T. What does this teach us?

S. To humble ourselves for past sins, and ascribe all our good works to the grace of God working in us.

T. How may we prove that we have not believed in vain? S. By our new lives of holiness, meekness, and sobriety, "letting our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works." Matt. v. 16.

The Gospel. St. Luke, xviii. 9.

JESUS Spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself: God, I thank Thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican: I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the Publican, standing afar off,

would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

T. To whom was this parable addressed?

S. To "certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others."

T. There were two courts in the temple, one for the Jews, the other for the Gentile proselytes that lived among them To which would the Pharisee go?

S. To the first.

T. What was the outward difference in these two men ? S. The one was of the straitest sect of the Jewish religion, a Pharisee; the other one hateful to the Jews, being a Publican, or collector of taxes for their Roman rulers.

T. Standing was the usual position of the Jews at prayer, except on occasions of mourning and penitence, when they knelt and prostrated themselves. Was the Pharisee's address to God a prayer?

S. No; rather an exaltation of himself above other men. T. Were his deeds wrong?

S. No; they were good, and prescribed by the law and the gospel.

7. How were they prescribed by the law?

S. Fasting or afflicting the soul was a religious duty, commanded on the tenth day of the seventh month (Lev. xvi. 29), and to intreat God on special occasions (Ezra, viii. 21), David says, "I humbled my soul with fasting." "My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness." Concerning tithes the Lord commanded, "Be

hold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation." Num. xviii. 21.

T. Are these duties sanctioned in the Gospel?

S. Yes; our Lord gave directions how to fast (Matt. vi. 17, 18); and St. Paul declares, "Even so hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel." 1 Cor. ix. 14.

T. What, then, was the sin of the Pharisee in God's sight?

S. His self-righteousness, spiritual pride, and want of charity.

T. When do we resemble him in condition and conduct? S. When we, like him, having been taught to avoid those sins which he mentions, and observe every religious duty, trust in these fancied merits instead of in Christ, blind ourselves to our real sinfulness, and despise others. T. What was the conduct of the Publican?

S. He stood afar off, and by his words and actions showed his humility, his sorrow for his sins, his anger against himself, and his sole trust in the mercy of God.

T. What did God declare concerning such? Isa. lxvi. 2. S. "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word." T. Was his character (though perhaps stained with sin) the more Christian of the two?

S. Yes; for Christ was meek and lowly in spirit (Matt. xi. 29), and made himself of no reputation (Phil. ii. 7), and His saints are clothed with humility.

T. Give some instances of sinners obtaining grace rather than the self-righteous in the Gospel.

S. Christ received the publicans and sinners who came to Him (Matt. ix. 10), declaring to the chief priest and

elders, "The publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you" (Matt. xxi. 30-32). He promised forgiveness and salvation in the Pharisee's house to that woman, a sinner, "who stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with her tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head" (Luke, vii. 37, 38); but not to the young man who had kept the commandments from his youth, but had not love enough to Christ to give up his riches and follow Him (Matt. xix. 16–22).

THE TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.
The Collect.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire, or deserve; Pour down upon us the abundance of Thy mercy: forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

T. What do we declare of God?

S. He is ever more ready to hear than we to pray.

T. How is this proved?

S. By His mercy in calling His people to repentance by His chosen servants the prophets; ("He hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked," Ezek. xxxiii. 11); and finally by sending His son to die for us while we were yet sinners, (Rom. v. 8), that the goodness of God might lead us to repentance.

T. How is He wont or accustomed to answer our prayers? S. By giving us more than either we desire or deserve. Ephes. iii. 20.