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QUESTIONS ON THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD. 343

work for us, and perform it with a hearty good will. Children, we know of one duty for you, which is not always difficult, but more often easy to perform; indeed, a pleasure-a real pleasure to those whose motives are actuated by love. Oh, never forget, then, whether young or old, this holy precept: Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right."

66

QUESTIONS ON THE PARABLES OF OUR

LORD.

PARABLE OF THE TARES EXPLAINED. OTHERS
DELIVERED.

Matt. xiii. 31-52; see also Mark iv. 26-34.

31. WHAT is here meant by the kingdom of heaven? Can you give any account of the mustard tree?

32. To what is the seed compared ? 1 Peter ii. 2, 3. 33. What is leaven ?-How is this parable to be applied?

34. Why were parables used by our Lord? Eph. i. 17, 18. Did he often, or always use them?

35. Who is the speaker in this verse? What prophet is quoted ?*

36. Where was Jesus at this time? ver. 1.-Into whose house did he probably go? ch. xvii. 24.

37. How was the good seed sown ?

38. Who are the children of the kingdom ?-Who are the children of the wicked one ?

*The passage in Psalm lxxviii. 2, is generally referred to as the one to which Matthew alludes.

344 QUESTIONS ON THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD.

39. How long has he been sowing?

40. Who were to gather the tares in the parable? ver. 30.

41. What is here meant by "his kingdom ?"-To whom do all created things belong? ch. xi. 27.What is meant by all things that offend ?

42. What is meant by a "furnace of fire ?" ch. xxv. 46. What will become of the enemy? Rev. xx. 10. 43. What kingdom is here spoken off Dan, xii. 3. 44. Was this treasure a mine, or money ?-Was the finder honest, or dishonest P*-What is the point of application? Luke xvi. 8-How is this treasure obtained? Luke xiv. 33.

45. Who is here represented by the merchant? 46. What act is here commended ?

47. What does the casting of the net denote ?-How are persons inclosed by it?

48. When will the net be full ? ver. 49.

49. What is the end of the world ? ch. xxiv. 14.

50. What state of mind is here depicted ?

51. To whom did Jesus here speak ? ver. 10.

52. What "treasure" is here referred to?-To whom did Jesus apply this remark?

*To make application of every circumstance in a parable, is absurd. In this case our Lord points at the wisdom of the finder, who parted with all he had for the treasure, commending a similar sacrifice, for the blessings of his kingdom. So, also, in the parable, Luke xvi. 8.

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A TINY GRAVE, AND A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT IT.

THAT good man, Legh Richmond, who wrote "Little Jane," "The Young Cottager," and "The Dairyman's Daughter," and other books, which children take such delight in reading, used to send the little ones of his school into the churchyard, to try and learn what was engraven on the tombstones. And the children took great delight in this work. It was something new to them-different from books; and it taught them

numbers and dates, and names and places. Besides, when they went to the schoolroom, after they had learned each what was on a tombstone, Mr. Richmond used to speak to them about what the tombstones taught.

I remember with what delight I went through this very graveyard and read what was on these tombstones. I was delighted, not only because the inscriptions, that is, the words painted or engraven on the stones, were very good, but because I thought of how many dear children had read them, and had got so much good from them.

When I was a boy, I never cared to read the tombstones, except to make out a very old date or something of this kind on the stone. What was to be read always appeared to me sad, or silly, (and I am sorry to say, that you do not always find what is right on tombstones ;) but I now read them very carefully and thoughtfully, and think it useful to do so.

The other day I was travelling by the railroad, and I was obliged to stop at a station for two hours. My train was not to be up before that length of time. So I tried to make the best use of my time, and I went into the town near the station, and there I spent the most of my two hours looking at the church, and reading the tombstones. I found it very profitable, as one is led to think in such a place of so much which we ought to be often thinking of-not to make us gloomy and sad, but to prevent us being taken by surprise, when God's messenger, death, is sent to call us out of this world into another.

I was reading one stone after another, and I was

thinking of the many happy meetings which friends and relatives would have in another world, if they had in life loved Jesus Christ and trusted in him as their Saviour, and how wonderful it would be to see the beautiful bodies of God's saints raised out of their graves to live for ever, when suddenly I came to a very tiny tomb, made of beautiful marble, and on it was engraved the following:

CHARLES S

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9 months and 2 weeks.

"Of such is the kingdom of heaven."

Ah! thought I, all these babies were taken to neaven before they knew anything of the sin and sorrow of this wicked world. But yet, I suppose that some of my young friends would express themselves very differently on reading this inscription. They would probably each say, "Oh! I am so sorry that these poor little babies did not live to be as merry and happy as we are, and to enjoy themselves with their dear parents as we do. And then, what grief to their father and mother to lose those three sweet babies, and to have to put them into this cold grave. I do so wish the pretty little things had not died."

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