affects the case of Quakers, and others who are, as we hold, misbelievers.

(c) That a baptized child, who grows up without repentance and faith, is in no wise safe, but needs conversion before he can be restored to a state of salvation.

Holding fast to these beliefs, we may declare with all confidence the blessed condition of a baptized child. It is God's child; it has its share in the kingdom of heaven. John Keble exclaims, "Oh that it would please Him to pour out upon us, even now, His good and loving Spirit, that we might from this very hour show forth our Baptism in our lives far more truly, far more courageously, far more lovingly than we have yet done. And one fruit of that good Spirit will assuredly be, that parents and teachers, Godfathers and Godmothers, will go on making more and more of their precious and tender charge-the little ones of Christ.

If we make much of our own souls and theirs, they will learn themselves to make much of them also."

3. "St. Paul speaks twice of being 'baptized into Christ' (Rom. vi. 3; Gal. iii. 27). Evidently to the mind of St. Paul, inspired by the Holy Ghost, union with Christ was infinitely more than a metaphor. . . . The Christian was annexed to Him. Christ's own life overflowed him, and took him in, and extended itself by embracing him; and there was a definite moment when this began to be the case. It was the moment of Baptism. Till then the believer was acted upon from without. By that Sacrament he passed into a new relationship to his Saviour, like a branch grafted into the vine."-(Canon Mason, in "the Faith of the Gospel.")

Collect of Christmas Day (omitting as at this time") should be used with this Lesson.

31. What is a vow?

A vow is a solemn promise, made to God (Gen. xxviii. 20, 21).

32. What is the first part of the Baptismal vow ?

The first part of the Baptismal vow is that I should renounce, &c.

33. What is to renounce?

To renounce is to give up, to keep ourselves free from.

34. Who is the devil?

The devil, or Satan, is the evil spirit who hates God, and therefore would ruin us because we are God's children (Rev. xii. 7-9).

35. Can the devil compel any one to

sin?

worldly companions, and many pleasures (St. Matt. iv. 8, 9).

37. Then how are you to renounce the world?

I am to renounce the world by giving up everything in it that would hurt my soul and draw me away from loving and serving God (1 John ii. 15).

38. In what other ways does Satan tempt us?

Satan also tempts us through our own bodies.

39. What are the "lusts of the flesh "?

The lusts of the flesh are the strong, bad desires of the body, such as lead

people into slothfulness, gluttony, intemperance and impurity, and other forms of self-indulgence (1 Pet. ii. 11; Gal. v. 16).

40. How did our Lord teach us to pray against the devil?

Our Lord taught us to pray against the devil in the words of the prayer, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (or the 'evil one')" (St. Luke xi. 4).

Christ renouncing the Devil." be omitted if Lesson too long.] on china; it would be useless to keep, for it would rub off, unless it was "fired," i.e., put to great heat in oven.

In doing this the work may be quite spoiled, but if it endures the heat uninjured, the picture is fixed, and will keep as long as the china lasts. Innocent people have to be tried as in furnace, to be tempted severely, proved. The Holy Child for our sakes was tried. Satan's temptations were about Him from the first; Nazareth had much evil in it (St. John i. 46); through all this He had passed without a stain. When Christ received a fresh gift of the Holy Ghost (St. Luke iii. 22), then fiercer trial came (James i. 12). As with us, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, we are called to renounce the Evil spirit.

(i.) Christ's tempter-and ours.

(a) What was he like? Read 2 Cor. xi. 14; perhaps he appeared as angel of light. All the cruelties, rebellions, deceits, foul deeds, which have ever been, were put intò man's heart by him; this shows his character, but it may have been hidden under beautiful appearance; we are not told.

(b) What did he want? To keep his hold on our souls. It was almost like 1 Sam. xvii. 9; one act of disobedience would unfit Jesus to be our Saviour. If told by Mary to fetch water from well, and He went instead to pluck great red lilies that grew near, that one act of disobedience would have lost us all.

How Satan must have watched, tried! How he failed! Hence desperate efforts in wilderness. Yet well for us that Jesus was tempted (Heb. iv. 15, ii. 18).

(ii.) Christ assailed-and we.

Mark three points in our Lord's temptation where we also feel it.

(a) The time. Satan watched for the hour when he supposed Christ would be weak. Picture ver. 2, 3. Dreary wilderness, barren, stony, vast; perhaps at dawn; dim, gloomy; no one near, no sound, terrible craving for food, faintness after long fast; then the thought whispered, "These stones . . . bread." The Lord had worked no miracle, but He could, and at once, provide for His own wants, the poor body craving, "Do it, do it now." Quite an innocent desire; no sin in making the bread; but Christ trusts His Father to supply His need; His soul would be strengthened and blessed by such trust; though the hunger hard to bear, He would trust on (see ver. 4.). So with us, Satan watches for times when he is most likely to succeed, when we seem weakest to resist, or perhaps most "off guard" (1 Pet. v. 8).

(b) The method. Satan skilfully fits the temptation to the person he tempts. Picture ver. 9-11. Lord on pinnacle of Temple tower, where white-robed priest would stand to watch for first morning light to show over hills, and signal to priests below to begin morning sacrifice. Perhaps this priest had just gone down, rosy morning light, silver trumpets sounded, gates open; see in courts below people flocking in, all come up before the Lord, sacrifice burning; if the Lord descend amongst them in a miraculous way, the stir, wonder, applause; He might be received and worshipped. Jesus looks down (may suppose) into midst of priests and people; tempter there to whisper, "Cast Thyself down, trust Thyself to the angels"; quotes words which Christ would often have thought over and loved (Ps. xci. 11-14). This a temptation just suited to the Lord, who so fully trusted His Father and so loved His Psalms. Thus Satan always skilfully suits the temptation to the person, as the fisherman suits his bait to the fish he would take. Each must think, "How does he tempt me?" (2 Cor. ii. 11.)

(c) The power. Of course, Satan could only tempt, but what a prize he offered Christ! Picture ver. 5-7. Jesus on the high mountain, perhaps full blaze of sunshine; wondrous vision from out of cloudland, all the beauteous things of earth; far away beyond the great sea, and over mountains, comes the vision; cities, palaces, armies with banners, warriors, multitudes, the fair, the strong; enchanting, wonders on wonders; all this to the eyes of Jesus used to the poor workshop at Nazareth. Satan's power over all these things can be seen by what you read in history of the wickedness mixed with great world scenes (ver. 6). Satan's offer, "Take it at my hands, I will yield it up to Thee." Fierce temptation; Jesus must have felt its power. So we; things in world Satan uses to tempt us with; money, gaiety, finery, show, praise; he baits the hook. How many are taken thereby! (1 John ii. 15, 16; St. John xvi. 33; 1 Cor. x. 13.)

(iii.) Christ's victory-and ours.

(a) The will He put forth, "Get thee hence." Strong will even in very weak body. Strong will to reject all that Satan offered; the bread that would stay the hunger pains, and strengthen; the wonder and applause of the people in Temple; the dazzling glories of the world; strong will to shut it all out, say

"No"; to find Himself after it all a lone man in dreary wilderness, hungry; faint. How His will so strong? How does the arm become strong for a great blow? By constant effort, exercise. All through childhood, youth, and early manhood learned to exercise the will, to say "No" to small temptations. Now strong to resist great ones (James iv. 7).

(b) The weapon He used. Sword of Spirit, "Word of God." Texts learned as a child He uses now in this conflict. Bible lessons in class, private Bible reading, morning by morning, taught Him what to answer when tempted. Bible became His Sword, Satan could answer nothing (ver. 4, 8, 12). It is to be our sword too. Bible lessons to be our aid in hour of temptation (Eph. vi. 17; Heb. iv. 12).

Now it is our turn; we to take our

III. THOUGHTS

1. The object of this Lesson is not to give an exhaustive exposition of our Lord's Temptation; but, following the general idea of the course, that we should be, by our Lord, led step by step through the Catechism. Here we see how He, from childhood, felt the full strain of that duty, which falls on us in connexion with the first part of our baptismal vow. The Elder Brother can understand and feel for the temptation of the youngest, even, of His brethren and sisters:

"Well I know thy trouble
Oh, My servant true.
Thou art very weary;
I was weary too."

2. "The second Adam, no less than the first, had to pass through His probation. That probation of the Incarnate Son is by no means easy to understand. It is clear that Christ could not sin, being a Divine Person. But His very Divinity made it possible for Him more fully than for others to taste the ingredients of human life. And though by His freedom from original sin He had none of the vicious and depraved desires which are congenital to us, and could only think of such with an instinctive abhorrence, yet, being human, He could not fail to be tempted by the same things which had tempted our first parents. The crafts and assaults of the Tempter were more artfully and persistently concentrated upon Him than upon any other."-("The Faith of the Gospel," by Canon Mason, abbreviated.)

part against the foe; our Captain has won; tens of thousands have since fought and won. Now it is our turn; same foe, but he is wounded. Ask "How does Satan tempt me? With what temptations? He knows my weak point, has studied me. Am I winning or losing, fighting or holding back? Here are two pictures "After the Fight." (1) In Eden, first Adam ashamed, beaten, hiding; a fallen man, dragging all his race down; conquered. (2) In wilderness the second Adam, faint, weary, yet thankful, rejoicing, victorious, lifting all the race up with Him; angels ministering. After the conflict, how happy! When end comes which shall we be like? Now is our conflict; day by day we are yielding or conquering. Which? When the end comes, which will it be with us, vanquished or victorious? (Rev. iii. 21.)

FOR TEACHERS.

3. The following lengthy extract from Dr. Edersheim's "Life and Times of Jesus" will show from whence many ideas in this Lesson are drawn :-" He is weary with the contest, faint with hunger, alone in this wilderness. His voice falls on no sympathising ear; no voice reaches Him but that of the Tempter. There is nothing bracing, strengthening in this featureless, barren, stony wilderness-only the picture of desolateness, hopelessness, despair. He must, He will absolutely, submit to the will of God. But can this be the will of God? One word of power and the scene would be changed.

"Jesus stands on the lofty pinnacle of the tower, or of the Temple-porch, presumably that on which every day a priest was stationed to watch, as the pale morning light passed over the hills of Judæa, far off to Hebron, to announce it as the signal for offering the morning sacrifice. If we might indulge our imagination, it would be just as the priest had quitted that station. The first direct temptation had been in the grey of breaking light, when to the faint and weary looker the stones of the wilderness seemed to take fantastic shapes, like the bread for which the faint body hungered. In the next temptation Jesus stands on the watch-post which the white-robed priest has just quitted. Fast the rosy morning light, deepening into crimson and edged with gold, is spreading over the land. In the priests' court below Him the morning sacrifice

had been offered. The massive Temple gates are slowly opening, and the blast of the priest's silver trumpet is summoning Israel to begin a new day by appearing before the Lord. Now then let Him descend, heaven-borne, into the midst of the priests and people. What shouts of acclamation would greet His appearance! The goal can at once be reached, and that at the head of believing Israel. Unseen by those below, Jesus surveys the scene. By His side the Tempter, watching the features that mask the working of the spirit within. And now he has whispered it.

"Once more the scene changes. They have turned their back upon Jerusalem and the Temple. Behind are also all popular prejudices. . . They no longer breathe the stifled air thick with the perfume of incense. They have taken their flight into God's wide world. There they stand on the top of some very high mountain. It is in the full blaze of sunlight that He now gazes upon a wondrous scene. Before Him rises from out the cloud-land at the edge of the horizon, forms, figures, scenes-corn, woods, sounds, harmonies.

The world in all its glory, beauty, strength, majesty, is unveiled. Its work, its might, its greatness, its art, its thought, emerge into clear view. And still the horizon seems to widen as He gazes; and more and more and beyond it still more and still brighter appears.

"Foiled, defeated, the enemy has spread his dark pinions towards that far-off world of his, and covered it with his shadows. The sun no longer glows with melting heat; the mists have gathered on the edge of the horizon, enwrapped the scene which has faded from view. And in the cool shade that followed have the angels come and ministered to His wants, both bodily and mental."

4. In the New Guinea translation of the Catechism, the Vow of Renunciation speaks of the threefold division of temptation as follows: (1) Those of the devil; (2) Those which come from contact with other people; (3) Those which we make for ourselves.

Prayer Collect of the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity.

the Church has received from God, and which it is necessary that we should believe (Eph. iv. 5; Phil. i. 27; 2 Tim. i. 13; Jude 3).

46. Where do we find the Christian Faith shortly set forth?

The Christian Faith is shortly set forth in the Apostles' Creed, and more fully in the Nicene Creed, and more fully still in the Athanasian Creed.

47. Why is the Apostles' Creed so called?

The Apostles' Creed is so called because in its twelve parts or "articles" are the chief truths which the Apostles taught.

48. Why is the Nicene Creed so called?

The Nicene Creed is so called because it was largely drawn up by the Bishops of the Church at the Council of Nicæa in A.D. 325.