But

Christ heals a Deaf and Dumb Man. 125 shipped him, saying, Lord, help me. Jesus answered and said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, truth, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs which fall from their master's table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith for this saying, be it unto thee even as thou wilt: go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

Christ heals a Deaf and Dumb Man; and feeds upwards of Four Thousand with Seven Loaves and a few small Fishes.

AND Jesus again departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, came nigh 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; 6 Matt. xv. 21-28. Mark vii. 24-30.

126

Christ feeds Four Thousand.

were

And he charged no man: but the much the more

and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. them that they should tell more he charged them, so 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. And he went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

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 I will not send them away fasting to their own houses, lest they faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. And his disciples answered

The Pharisees demand a Sign. 127

and say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread here in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake them, 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. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. And he sent away the multitude, and straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the coasts of Magdala and Dalmanutha".

The Pharisees and Sadducees again demand a Sign. The Disciples are cautioned to beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees, of the Sadducees, and of Herod.

THE Pharisees also with the Sadducees came forth, and began to question with him, tempting, and desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He an

' Matt. xv. 29-39. Mark vii. 31-viii. 10.

128 The Pharisees demand a Sign.

swered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this wicked and adulterous generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. Then Jesus charged them, saying, Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the Sadducees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought 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

Christ restores a Blind Man to Sight. 129

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 that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees °.

Christ restores a Blind Man to Sight near Bethsaida. Peter again confesses Jesus to be the Christ.

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,

Matt. xvi. 1-12. Mark viii. 11-21.

K