was the secret of his peace. This
was what gave him such calmness and confidence in his dreadful
position as a condemned prisoner.

And so Jesus gives his people pardon in such promises as these:
"Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow: though
they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool," Is. i: 16. "Let
them return unto the Lord, for he will _abundantly pardon_." Is. lv:
7. "All that believe are justified from _all_ things." Acts xiii:
39. These promises are like the king's pardon which the officer had
received. Faith in these promises brings pardon, and the pardon
brings peace. And so, by what he is doing now, as well as by the
miracles he performed when on earth, we are taught the precious
truth, that--"The Son of man hath power to forgive sins."

Then when we think of the wonderful miracles that Jesus did, let us
always remember the illustrations they afford of the power he had to
_help_--_to comfort_--_to encourage_--_to protect_--_and to pardon_.

Let us seek to secure all these blessings to ourselves, and then we
shall find that what Jesus taught by his miracles will be very
profitable teaching to us!

CHRIST TEACHING LIBERALITY

If we should attempt to mention all the parables which Jesus spoke,
and the miracles which he performed, and the many other lessons which
he taught, it would make a long list. As we have done before we can
only take one or two specimens of these general lessons which Jesus
taught.

We have one of these in the title to our present chapter, which
is--_Christ Teaching Liberality_. This was a very important lesson
for Jesus to teach. One of the sad effects of sin upon our nature is
to make it selfish, and covetous. We are tempted to love money more
than we ought to do. We are not so willing to part with it as we
should be. And we never can be good and true Christians unless we
overcome the selfishness of our sinful hearts, and not only learn to
give, but to give liberally. The Bible teaches us that God not only
expects his people to give, but, as St. Paul says, in one place, to
give "_cheerfully_." II. Cor. ix: 7.

And this is the lesson Jesus taught when he said to his
disciples,--"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure,
pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give
into your bosoms." St. Luke vi: 38.

And when we come to consider these words of Jesus, there are three
things to engage our attention. _The