naum. But Jesus taking occasion to reprove their selfish motives, directed their attention to that food which would nourish the soul; declaring himself to be the bread of God which came down from heaven, to give life to the world. The heavenly discourse which he delivered, gave offence to some of his carnal followers, while it exhibited the only means of restoring lost sinners to spiritual life and eternal felicity.

After reproving the Pharisees for their hypocritical attention to mere external ceremonies, while they overlooked inward purity and a righteous conduct, we find our Lord departing into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. Here, at the humble entreaty of a Syrophenician woman, in behalf of her daughter, who was grievously distressed by a demon, he delivered the afflicted creature from her calamity; and then, leaving these coasts, came near to the sea of Galilee, where, for a while, he rested himself on a mountain.

To this place the multitudes quickly resorted, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the dumb, the maimed, and many others, and laying them at the feet of Jesus to be healed. Here, too, his power and compassion were again manifested, in a miraculous supply of food; the fainting multitude, to the number of four thousand, beside women and children, being fed from seven loaves and a few small fishes; and seven baskets-full of the fragments being afterward gathered up.

From the place above mentioned, Jesus passed over to Dalmanutha, in the coasts of Magdala, where he was beset by the Pharisees and Sadducees, who demanded of him a sign from heaven, but met as they deserved, with a refusal and reproof. Going thence to the city of Bethsaida, he restored a blind man to sight; after which, we find him visiting the towns of Cæsarea Philippi. In this journey our Lord entered into a private conversation with his disciples, on the subject of his own person and character; and from that time began to give them some intimation concerning his approaching sufferings, and his resurrection from the dead.

The disciples had heretofore seen their Lord, great indeed in power, but lowly in appearance. It remained for some of them to witness a splendor in his person, infinitely transcending the pomp of the greatest earthly king. Taking with him three of his chosen followers, Peter, James, and John, and ascending a high mountain, for the purpose of private devotion, it came to pass, while engaged in prayer, that he was suddenly, and in a glorious manner, transfigured in their presence. His face shone as the sun, and his raiment became white and dazzling. At the same time also, appeared two glorified saints, Moses and Elijah, who entered into a conversation with Jesus, concerning his approaching death, which was to be accomplished at Jerusalem.

It seems to have been the night-season when this wonderful event took place. The three disciples, fatigued with the labors of the day, had sunk down to sleep, but awakened with the splendor of the light, they beheld the glorious scene; while, as it passed off, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud proclaimed, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him!"

On coming down from the mountain, the next day after the transfiguration, we find Jesus healing a youth, who from his childhood had been afflicted with lunacy and a dumb spirit; and some time afterward, at Capernaum, directing Peter to go to the sea, and take from the mouth of the first fish which should come to his hook, a piece of money, for the purpose of paying tribute to the tax-gatherers.

In the way to Capernaum, the disciples, not yet fully acquainted with the spiritual nature of their Master's kingdom, had held some dispute among themselves, who should be the greatest. Jesus, therefore, knowing what had passed, took occasion to warn them against a vain ambition; inculcating on their minds a spirit of genuine humility, as the proper temper to be possessed by his servants, and pointing out the necessity of renouncing all objects which might be inconsistent with the service of God, though dear to the feelings, as the hand, the foot, or the eye, to the body.

After discourse of this sort, and much more, in which our Lord instructed his disciples in the proper manner of dealing with each other, as members of his church, and pressed on them a ready disposition toward the forgiveness of injuries; we find him appointing, in addition to the twelve apostles, seventy disciples, whom "he sent two and two before his face, into every city and place, whither he himself would come."

In the meantime, going up to Jerusalem, to the feast of tabernacles, Jesus entered into the temple and taught. On this occasion much division and contention ensued

among the people. Some, offended at his faithful dealing, “sought to take him ;” “but his hour was not yet come." Some believed in him, as the promised Messiah, and others rejected him. At length the Pharisees sent chief-priests and officers to apprehend him; but, overpowered with the force of his words, they returned without him, declaring, "Never man spake like this man."

After another instructive lecture, on the following day, and a disputation with the Jews, we have an account of the return of the seventy disciples to their master, with the report of their success. While engaged in discourse with these disciples, a certain lawyer (or expounder of the Jewish laws), came forward, and with much selfconsequence and secret contempt of Jesus, proposed a plausible question, but with a design to involve him in a difficulty. He begged to be informed what he must do, for the attainment of eternal life. Had the question been proposed with an humble and teachable disposition, our Lord would doubtless have given a direct and explicit answer; but knowing the proud and captious temper of the scribe, he replied in a way which might tend to humble or silence him. He therefore referred him to the demands of the law, upon obedience to which the scribe placed his dependance, assuring him a complete compliance with those claims, of perfect love to God and man, would secure to him the blessing desired. 'This do, and thou shalt live;" as if he had said "Perform, punctually and perpetually, without interruption or imperfection, all the injunctions of the holy and spiritual law of God, and eternal life shall be thine; but, remember, that the least deviation or defect will ruin thee for ever.”*

The scribe, willing to stand on his own defence, and to evade conviction, proposed another question-"Who is my neighbor?" It should seem that he, like all others who seek salvation by their own doings, was desirous of narrowing the demands of the law as much as possible, and reducing the number of those to whom the duties of love were owing. Our Lord wisely took this occasion of confuting the prevalent notion that neighbors were only such persons as lived near each other, or were connected by the ties of blood or religion. He therefore showed, by a parable, that we ought to extend our kindness to all our fellow-creatures in distress, of whatever nation or profession, even to those who have been separated from us by party quarrels and distinctions.

"A certain traveller," said our Lord, "going from Jerusalem to Jericho,† was set

In this manner, St. Paul speaks (Gal. iii. 10), “ For as many as are of the works of the law," that is, who seek justification by it, "are under the curse;" for it is written, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."

Jericho was at this time a very important city; indeed, it would seem from Josephus to have been next in consequence to Jerusalem itself. At this place also twelve thousand priests and Levites were stationed, with a view to the rotation of service at Jerusalem. Hence the peculiar propriety with which our Lord introduces the priest and Levite as passing this way. The road to Perea, beyond Jordan, also passed this way, whence it was one of the most frequented roads of Palestine. How fitly the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was made the scene of this interesting story, will appear when it is understood that this road has always been infested by numerous daring and desperate robbers; and its character is so notorious, even at the present day, in this respect, that travellers are rarely allowed by the governor of Jerusalem to proceed to Jericho and the Dead sea without an escort. Josephus intimates, and Jerome says, that the savage mountainous wilderness through which this road passed had acquired the name of the bloody way. The monks however have restricted this name, or rather that of the "Valley of Abdonim" (blood), to a small round, grassy valley, which they have fixed upon as the place where the supposed facts of this parable took place. That the region is well suited for a scene of robbery and murder will appear by the following, from Mr, Buckingham:

"The whole of this road from Jerusalem to Jericho is held to be the most dangerous about Palestine; and, indeed, in this portion of it, the very aspect of the scenery is sufficient, on the one hand, to tempt to robbery and murder, and, on the other, to occasion a dread of it in those who pass that way. It was partly to prevent any accident happening to us at this early stage of our journey, and partly perhaps to calm ur fears on that score, that a messenger had been despatched by our guides to an encampment of their tribe near, desiring them to send an escort to meet us at this place. We were met here accordingly by a band of about twenty persons, on foot, all armed with matchlocks, and presenting the most ferocious and robberlike appearance that could be imagined. The effect of this was heightened by the shouts which they sent forth from hill to hill, and which were re-echoed through all the valleys; while the bold projecting crags of rock, and the dark shadows in which everything was buried below, the towering height of the cliffs above, and the forbidding desolation which everywhere reigned around, presented a picture that was quite in harmony throughout all its parts. It made us feel most forcibly the propriety of its being chosen as the scene of the delightful tale of compassion which we had before so often admired for its doctrine, independently of its local beauty. In these gloomy solitudes, pillage, wounds, and death, would be accompanied with double terror from the frightful aspect of everything around. Here the unfeeling act of passing by a fellowcreature in distress, as the priest and Levite are said to have done, strikes one with horror, as an act almost more than inhuman. And here, too, the compassion of the Good Samaritan is doubly virtuous, from the purity of the motive which must have led to it, in a spot where no eyes were fixed on him to draw forth the performance of any duty, and from the courage which was necessary to admit of a man's exposing himself, by such delay, to the risk of a similar fate to that from which he was endeavoring to rescue a fellow

creature."

If space allowed, we should also be glad to transcribe the account which Sir F. Henniker gives of his

upon by thieves, who not only rifled him of his clothes and money, but so dangerously wounded him, that they left him almost expiring on the ground. By chance a priest came that way, and saw the poor wretch weltering in his blood: but the sight did not affect him, he passed along unconcerned. Next came a Levite, as void of tenderness and humanity as the priest. At last the groans of the poor wretch stirred up the curiosity of a Samaritan to see the cause, which he no sooner discovered, but, moved with compassion, he went to him, raised his head, recalled his fainting spirits, and closed his gaping wounds with healing balsams; then mounting him on his own beast he gently conveyed the man to the first inn, where at his own cost he entertained him while he stayed with him, and at his departure promised the host to be at whatever further expense should be incurred." Our blessed Saviour applying this parable to the lawyer, asked him which he thought was neighbor to the poor traveller. The lawyer replied, "Undoubtedly he that was kind, and careful of him." Then says he to the lawyer, "Go thou and do likewise." Hereby plainly intimating, that no distance of country or religion destroyed the true notion of neighborhood, but every person with whom we converse in peace and charity is that neighbor, whom we are to love as ourselves.

Two sisters, Martha and Mary, who make a considerable figure in the sacred history, now present themselves to our notice. While, at a certain time, Jesus was entertained at the house of these pious women, Mary took her seat at the feet of the divine teacher, in order to receive instruction; while Martha, suffering herself to be over-anxious in making provision, complained of her sister's neglect, in not rendering her assistance. It was on this occasion that Christ gave to Martha that memorable admonition, so worthy of attention from the human family in general: "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful. And Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her."

A great part of the gospel records, which yet remain to be noticed, consist in a detail of the discourses delivered by Christ to his disciples, together with reproofs to the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, and a number of interesting parables. A brief notice of the most remarkable of these objects, as we pass on, is all that the limits of our history will allow.

In answer to the request of his disciples, we find our Lord giving them instructions on the subject of prayer, and encouraging them to the exercise of this sacred privilege. When a certain Pharisee, with whom Jesus dined, found fault because he did not use the ceremony of the elders, by first washing, he took occasion to expose the vain pretences and hypocrisy of these people, who, while they were superstitiously nice in small matters, passed over judgment and the love of God: and warning his disciples against such principles, he exhorted them not to fear the displeasure of man, but to stand in awe of him who has power to cast into hell, as well as to kill the body. Occurrences which, in a religious light, might appear unimportant, afforded occa sion to this heavenly teacher, for the most important religious instruction. Thus, when one of the company desired him to interfere in the settlement of an inheritance, Jesus cautioned him, as well as the congregation in general, to "beware of covetousness ;" and, in an impressive parable, represented the folly and final wretchedness of those who feel secure of happiness in the possession of earthly plenty, and are disposed to "eat, drink, and be merry," while they are "not rich toward God."

Our Lord was now, it seems, on another circuit through Galilee; where, in one of the synagogues, he released from her affliction, a woman who had been bowed together with her infirmity for eighteen years; after which, we are informed of his returning toward Jerusalem, teaching in the different cities and villages on the way. Being at the table of one of the Pharisees, in the course of this journey, Jesus improved the season by the parable of the Wedding Supper; setting forth, under figures, the rich provision of the gospel, and representing the various success of his ministers in delivering the gracious invitation to sinners. On leaving the house, multitudes followed him; and the publicans and sinners drawing near to hear him, the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees murmured at his condescension to these people. Our Lord defended his conduct on this occasion, in three parables, the last of which,

being stripped naked by the Arabs, and left severely wounded, on this road, in the year 1820. As this traveler states, a similar circumstance happened to the monk Brocard (not indeed two hundred years ago, as he says, but), toward the end of the thirteenth century. Many other testimonies might be collected of the dangerous character of the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.

called the parable of the Prodigal Son, is so very interesting and important, that we must not omit a brief sketch of its contents.

A certain man is represented as having two sons; the younger of whom, baving received his portion, went into a distant country, where he "wasted his substance with riotous living." Reduced by poverty and famine to a state of wretchedness, he became a keeper of swine, to a citizen of that country; but happily, in this situation, "he came to himself," and took the resolution to try once more the kindness of a father. Accordingly, he returned, with an humble and penitent confession, to his injured parent, who received him with joy and feasting, while the elder brother, murmuring at his reception, refused to unite in the pleasure and festivity of the day.

This parable, which seems evidently to represent, in the person of the younger brother, the publicans and sinners, and in that of the elder, the scribes and Pharisees, contains also important instruction for us. In the younger brother we may see the sad fruits of sin and dissipation, both in a temporal and spiritual point of view, as well as the happy result of a return to God; while the disposition and conduct of the elder, still serve to mark the character of the self-righteous, wherever they are found. The parable of the unjust steward, which follows that of the prodigal, is intended to admonish us, so to use the possessions of this world (called "the mammon of unrighteousness") as to secure the friendship of the distressed, especially among the friends of Christ; in other words, to use these worldly things to the glory of God and the good of men. And in the next parable which comes under our notice, two characters are represented, in their different states, both in this world and in that beyond the grave.

This is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar: the former living in splendor and plenty, but forgetful of God and religion; the latter lying, an afflicted outcast, at the rich man's gate, but blessed with the favor of Heaven. Such was the state of things in this world; but greatly was it reversed in the other! The beggar dying, was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom," while, in hell, the rich man lifting up his eyes in torment, saw the blessedness of the once-afflicted Lazarus. After just mentioning the healing of the ten men who were diseased with leprosy; the parable of the importunate widow, which was designed to encourage us to perseverance in prayer; and that of the Pharisee and publican, showing the contrast between proud self-righteousness and humble penitence,-we hasten on to the feast of the dedication, at Jerusalem, where we find our Lord restoring to sight a man who had been blind from his birth.

This miracle, though attested in the clearest manner, had no effect toward removing the prejudice and enmity of the Pharisees. It was wrought on the sabbath day, and this, in their esteem, afforded some pretext for opposition. They accused Jesus of profaning the sabbath, and cast the man (who had now become his disciple) out of the synagogue. This opposition became still more violent, when Christ, in a discourse held with the Jews, in the porch of the temple, declared, "I and my Father are one." They even took up stones to stone him; "but he escaped out of their hands, and went again beyond Jordan," where many resorted to him, and believed on him.

We must not omit to mention here, among other instances of his goodness, the gracious regard shown to helpless infancy, by the Redeemer; who, when some persons present brought young children to him, that they might share in his favor, "took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." Then, departing thence, he went on to some other place which he had designed to visit.

In the way, he was accosted by a young ruler, who, in an earnest manner, desired to know what he should do to inherit eternal life. The result of the conversation showed, that this amiable youth, with all his morality, was incapable of renouncing the world for Christ, and Jesus improved the serious occasion, by delivering a general. caution against setting the heart on the perishing riches of this world; assuring his disciples, that those who had forsaken all for him, should, in some sense, be great gainers, even in this life; and that in the world to come, they should have life everlasting.

The next event to which we shall here pay attention, is the resurrection of Lazarus. This man was the brother of Martha and Mary, who have been already introduced to our notice. Of this little family (who resided in the town of Bethany), it is testified, that they were all beloved of Jesus. Yet Lazarus, though loved of his