One style of cure Jesus had which may have been very efficacious, but it certainly was not delicate. Once a deaf man, who had an impediment in his speech, was brought to him to be healed. Jesus took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and spat and touched his tongue. And a blind man was brought to him, whom he took by the hand and led out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands on him, asked him if he saw aught And the man was restored to sight This kind of lubrication could scarcely be deemed pleasant.

Neither do we find an incentive to cleanliness in this, for we are told, "as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him; and he went in, and sat down to meat And when the Pharisee saw it, he mar-yelled that he had not first washed before dinner. And the Lord said onto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without, make that which it within also?" This may be very true, but it is also very dirty; and though it may satisfy the Son of God, would not be an excuse for any man who wished to be considered decent.

The fame of Jesus spread rapidly, and great multitudes flocked to hear him. One day he went up into a mountain, and addressed the people, but his discourse was of rather an extravagant description. As we understand matters in these days, what is the amount of truth contained in the following sentences?—

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed art they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

"Blessed an the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

"Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake."

This kingdom of heaven is past all comprehension. The poor in spirit have it, and the persecuted for righteousness' sake have it; and if these are the penalties to be paid for its possession, it is not worth the winning. Then is it possible or proper for any one to act in this way:—"If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out; if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off?" Who in his senses would think of doing so? Who would stand by and allow others to do it? And who lives according to this Christian principle, and who follows this precept:—"Resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also?" In the first place, it is grossly immoral not to resist evil; and in the second, all the world repudiates the doctrine of non-resistance under such circumstances. If any one smites us on the right cheek, do we not quickly turn and hit him on the left? It is a natural instinct, and to act otherwise is cowardice. Do the proceedings of our law courts furnish many instances of the adoption of this recommendation:—"And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also?" One half humanity would very soon be stripped by the other half. "And whoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." No one with any spirit or power of resistance would think of submitting to the compulsion of walking a mile with a person, much less of going two in the company of one whose society might be a nuisance. And if we are to give to every one that asketh, what are our vagrancy laws but a flagrant violation of Christianity? The injunction is here given without the slightest qualification, and is an encouragement to mendicancy the world over.

There are one or two precepts specially binding on Christians of the present day! This, for instance, is very much obeyed:—"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men." This, we know, is universally observed by the followers of Jesus. It is obeyed by the ordained minister in his canonicals; the Primitive in his whitewashed tabernacle; the Methodist in his tub; the Revivalists in their delirious and epileptic gatherings; the Ranters in their camp meetings, and howling peregrinations through our country towns and villages; and above all, those highly gifted young men belonging to the Town Mission, who render the night hideous by their insane ravings at the corners of the streets and in the paths of public places. It is consoling to find the "salt of the earth" such consistent followers of their great Master. It is because they are the salt of the earth, that the world has got into such a precious pickle.

Bishops especially, and pluralists in particular, nurse in their hearts this saying: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth." No, poor men, they think too much about their heavenly Father! A few thousand! a year are quite sufficient for them. And Christian bankers and millionaires equally regard the injunction.

This is a Christian country, and we are a Christian people, and our various provident and benefit societies and savings' banks tell how we esteem this command: "Take no thought for the morrow, saying, What shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?" We don't think of the morrow merely, but of years to come, and he who is the most careful in providing for the future, is most honoured amongst men.

Now all these impracticable and extravagant commands are taken from the much-vaunted Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus said, whosoever heard them, and obeyed them, he would liken unto a wise man; but whosoever obeyed them not, he would liken unto a foolish man. It may be an honour to be deemed foolish in such a case; but what shall we say of the professing Christian, who considers himself so much superior to the Freethinker, and who boasts of his principles being the checks which keep him moral, and says that if it had not been for his blessed Saviour the world would have been lost? Why, out of the mouth of Jesus himself he is proved to be a hypocrite and foolish, for he does what is solemnly condemned, and leaves undone what is strictly enjoined. "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine." And can any rational inquirer be astonished at that? On reading over these Gospels calmly, and seeing what are attributed to Jesus as his sayings and doings, one is amazed at the credulity of the world in allowing such a stupendous delusion as the Christian religion to be palmed upon it as something divine derived direct from Deity.

After this startling sermon, great multitudes followed Jesus, and wherever he went he healed the sick and performed miracles, but he generally enjoined the convalescents not to mention to any one what he had done. The reason for this is not given, but if one may make a conjecture, it was either because he had really worked no cure at all, or else he was afraid of having too many demands made upon his time. We are told that when "Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side" of the water, that he might get away from them. Before he departed, a disciple said unto him, "Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead." Is this an instance of meekness?

When on board the ship, a great storm came on, and the sailors were afraid of being wrecked. So they awoke Jesus, telling him of their danger. He first chided them, and then scolded the winds and the waves, which at once subsided. When he was come to the other side, into the country of the