mer; but, from the very nature of the case, it seems to me next to impossible to believe such an opinion to be correct. If he was much among his friends, at Nazareth or Capernaum, why should they so eagerly embrace every opportunity of his arrival any where near them, to go out and meet him? It appears to me, that, instead of indulging himself even in the society of dear friends, he denied himself in this respect, almost continually, and was ever on the alert to do good, leaving his friends and relations, while they were in health, to provide for their own wants, at least their temporal ones.

CHAPTER V.

Jesus heals the son of a nobleman at Capernaum-Goes to Nazareth -Attends worship at the Jewish synagogue-Gives offence-They seize him and drag him away to destroy him-He escapes, and goes to Capernaum-Calls several of his disciples-Casts out a devilCures Peter's wife of a fever-Multitude of the sick brought to him-Jesus' habit of early rising-His first regular tour of Galilee -Sermon on the mount-Crowds of people to hear him-Teaching from the ship-Miracle of the fishes-The leper cured-Cure of the paralytic-Matthew called.

WHILE Jesus and his disciples were at Cana, a message came to him requesting his immediate presence at Capernaum. The occasion of the

*It is a singular fact that this writer belongs to a class of our community who seem to believe that they best obey the great command, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, when they spend a pretty large proportion of their time in the society of relatives and friends, endeavoring to make them happy. Now I do not object to the general idea herein advanced; but it unfortunately happens that those who make the most of it seem to do very little for their fellow men, either at home or abroad, but, on the contrary, gradually fall into a state of what I call refined selfishness; and what is still worse, endeavor to sustain themselves in it, as it appears from this instance, by the example of our Saviour.

message was this. There was a nobleman, at Capernaum, whose son was at the point of death, who, having heard of the Saviour's miraculous power, ventured to beg of him to come and restore his son. Jesus, to try his faith, hesitated a little; but, finding it strong and unwavering, he bade him go home in peace, for his son would recover. The nobleman obeyed at once, and while going home, his servants met him, and told him that his son was already fast recovering. On asking them when he began to amend, they told him the fever left him at a particular hour the day before. It turned out that the favorable change took place precisely at the time of day in which Jesus told him his son would live. The nobleman and his whole household became, in consequence of the miracle, disciples of Christ.

Sometime afterward, the Saviour returned to Nazareth. On the Sabbath after his arrival, he repaired, as was his custom, to the synagogue, to join in its religious exercises; probably also to improve any opportunity that might offer of giving public instruction to his countrymen.

It seems that the Jews, in their synagogue worship, were accustomed to have several different persons read to them from the Scripturessome say no less than seven. Nor was it uncommon for them to ask this service of distinguished persons who happened to be present. Either on this account, or else because our Lord, as some suppose, had been accustomed to perform this exercise, in this synagogue he was presented with the book of Isaiah, and requested to read it. He complied, selecting such passages as he chose. Some of these were so obviously applicable to

himself, while others set forth so plainly the fact that God was about to show favor to the Gentiles, that the prejudices of his hearers were so greatly excited, that they became quite angry with him. They rose against him, even on the Sabbath, and in the synagogue, and with all the customary violence of a mob, they seized him, determined to take his life. To such extremity, however, notwithstanding the violence of their rage, they did not probably dare to go within the limits of the village, but they were determined to do it somewhere, and somehow or other.

A little to the south of Nazareth, on the side of the mountain or range of mountains on which, the place was situated, was a steep declivity or precipice. Towards this precipice, they hurried him along, intending to throw him off, head foremost. Had they succeeded in accomplishing their wicked purpose, he must inevitably have been dashed in pieces; for the height of the precipice was not less than fifty feet.

Ere

But his hour had not yet come; and, though the whole world had been in arms against him, he would have found means to escape. they came quite to the brink of the precipiceor brow of the hill, as the evangelist calls it-he turned himself about, and though armed with no weapon but innocence, he passed through the midst of the furious mob, and went away.

Were they blinded? Did he palsy their arms or their hands, by an unseen power? Or were they so overawed by some singular exhibition of his holiness, that they had no power to retain him, and no disposition to follow him till it was

too late? In any event he escaped, and went, forthwith, to Capernaum.

Where were the disciples during the riot? If present, were they not in danger? And if in danger, did they go away with their Lord and Master? These are all questions which I cannot answer. It is hardly probable, however, that they had, as yet, become so identified with the Saviour as to be much exposed to the hatred, or at least to the violence of those who both hated and persecuted him. They had, as yet, for the most part, been mere hearers of his preaching, teaching, and conversation--mere scholars. They had their day of persecution for the sake of the truth, but it does not seem to have, at this time, quite arrived.

I have said that the Saviour, after he was treated thus ill at Nazareth, went to Capernaum. At this place, instead of Nazareth, he took up his abode. Nor was it far from this period, that he heard the unwelcome intelligence, that his friend John the Baptist, at the command of king Herod, had been imprisoned.

Notwithstanding his reception at Nazareth, and though Capernaum, his new residence, was little more than half a day's journey distant, the Saviour did not hesitate to appear boldly in the city, and indeed in the adjacent country, and proclaim everywhere the gospel of the kingdom of God. "The time is fulfilled," he would say, "and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye and believe the gospel."

Hitherto, though Peter and Andrew and perhaps a few others had been introduced to him, and been much in his company, they do not ap

pear to have been set apart as his constant companions. But the time had at length arrived, when he thought it proper to have them continually with him.

Peter and Andrew were fishermen, and made it their home at Capernaum. One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the sea of Galilee, where they were toiling with their nets, he bade them leave their employment and follow him, and become, as he called it, fishers of men. They left their nets, at once, how dearly soever they loved the employment in which they had been brought up, and by means of which they had been accustomed to obtain much of their subsistence and that of their families, and henceforth became his constant associates. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, by employment fishermen, were at the same time invited to follow him and be with him; they also immediately left their employment, their father, and their other relatives, and became, like Peter and Andrew, his intimate companions and friends.

While in Capernaum, the Saviour, in accordance with his early habits, attended the Jewish worship on the Sabbath, at their synagogues. Here he was not only a public reader, but, at times, with the permission of the elders or rulers of the synagogues, a preacher. Here it was, that, as he was preaching one day, he encountered a noisy, turbulent spirit which had possessed an individual there, and cast him out, to the great amazement of all the bystanders a circumstance which did more to spread abroad his fame through all that region than any previous action or miracle.