ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.
Christ the Giver of Hearing and Speech to your Soul.
"O Lord, Thou wilt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise." (Ps. 1. 17.)
I. In the Gospel of to-day, Christ is recorded to have cured a person, who "was deaf and dumb." (Mark vii. 32.) Consider yourself to be of this character in a spiritual point of view, as you really are, if you be deaf to God's grace and silent in the Divine praises. How often have you resisted His holy inspirations, exciting; you to compunction, patience, humility and, in a word, to perfection. How well might he address you, by the mouth of His Prophet, " I called, and you did not answer; I spoke, and you did not hear." (Is. lxv. 12.) Reflect, also, how dumb you are in speaking of God, and of Divine things, whilst you feel that much fruit might be derived both by you and others, were you to engage oftener in spiritual conversation. You may truly say with the Prophet, but in a different sense, " I cannot speak, for I am a child " (Jer. i. 6), in what regards spiritual matters.
II. He will visit you in the Eucharist to-day, of Whom it is said in the Gospel; " He hath made both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak." (Mark, vii. 37.) If He did this in a corporal sense, how much more willing will He be to do it in a spiritual sense, if you be prepared to receive Him. He will open your heart to hear His voice, and make your tongue eloquent in His praises to the edification of others, "The Lord hath given me a
