May 4

Matthew ix. — 27. And, when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.

28. And, when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

29. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

30. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

31. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

32. As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.

33. And, when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake; and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.

34. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

35. And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

36. But, when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd.

37. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous; but the laborers are few.

38. Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.

Ezekiel xxxiv. — 11. For thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I. even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

12. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

14. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

15. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down saith the Lord God.

There is no sight more common in Syria than that of blind men sitting by the wayside, or begging at the village-gates and other public places. Indeed, throughout the East, blindness is much more common than with us, — a fact which Archbishop Trench attributes to these causes: "The dust and flying sand, pulverized and reduced to minutest particles, enter the eyes, causing inflammations, which, being neglected, end frequently in total loss of sight. The sleeping in the open air, on the roofs of the houses, and the consequent exposure of the eyes to the noxious nightly dews, is another source of this malady." Add to these the incessant glare of light, and want of personal cleanliness.

In healing the blind, our Lord commonly brought the act

to their consciousness through the sense of touch; and, in this instance, he directly measured the blessing by their faith. In the case of the dumb man, the physical infirmity was traced to a malignant spirit; and to cast out the greater evil was to cure the less. Indeed, much as our Lord was affected by the infirmities and sorrows of men, he was more deeply "moved with compassion" because of their spiritual condition: they were like sheep wandering every whither without guardians or guides. Now that we have heard his call, let us return unto the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls; let us open our eyes to his gracious presence; let us open our ears to his voice of mercy; let us loose our tongues for his praise.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 24, 43, 91.

O Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock! we bless thee, that, when we were wandering and lost, thou didst send forth thy beloved Son the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for the sheep; who leads his flock, and feeds them; who gathers the lambs, and carries them in his bosom; who watches over his own continually, and never slumbers nor sleeps. May we be of the number of his sheep! and, oh, may the time soon come when all mankind shall be brought into his fold! And for this we pray, O thou Great Shepherd of the sheep! that thou wilt give faithful pastors to thy churches and to the whole world. Millions are wandering, scattered, torn, and fainting, because they have no shepherds. May thy Spirit be poured out from on high, that thousands may go forth in thy name into the wilderness, and bring these lost sheep back to the fold!

O thou compassionate Redeemer! send forth laborers into thy harvest; incline the young to consecrate themselves to the blessed work of spreading thy gospel. May "Holiness to the Lord" be inscribed on all our domestic pursuits, on our trade, our commerce, our politics, and our pleasures!

We thank thee that we see this morning. Thy watchful care has preserved us during our sleep, and thou hast again spread our table with thy bounties. Help us to treasure the memorials of thy goodness in our hearts; and may we shun every thing that might offend thee, our merciful and gracious Benefactor! Keep us this day from all evil. Remember us as a family, and number us all with thy children. May all before thee be born of the Spirit, and be thine in an everlasting covenant! And to thy name be glory forever. Amen.