and making a tour through Galilee, He preached the gospel in the synagogues; curing all diseases, and dispossessing the demoniacs; spreading His fame over all Syria, and causing great numbers to follow Him from various places. Jesus in His progress, was met by a man overspread with leprosy, (a disease causing the skin to appear scaly like a fish ;) who, falling prostrate at His feet, cried Lord, "if it be thy pleasure thou canst make me clean." This declaration, so full of faith and humility, excited the compassion of Jesus, who not influenced by the fear of being Himself rendered unclean; touched him saying, "I will, be thou clean ;" and he was that moment perfectly cured. Our Lord then, strictly charged him to discover it to no man, until he had performed the rite of the law, by presenting himself to the priest, and offering the usual sacrifice as a testimony of his cleanness. (Lev. xiv. 29, 30, 31.) But the overjoyed man, instead of secrecy, published it abroad; which so incseased the fame of Jesus, that He could not openly enter into the city, lest such multitudes of followers should carry a shew of sedition: and the pressing of the leprous, contrary to the law cause great inconvenience. (Lev. 13, and 14.) Therefore after teaching the multitudes, and curing all their diseases, and for nearly three months making a most

glorious progress in Galilee. He withdrew to a desart place, for fasting and prayer.

The PRIESTS under the law, were the ministers of religion for common purposes. They were all descendants of Aaron, to whose family the priesthood was confined; and were to have no defect of body. They conducted the temple service, and offered sacrifices to God, of which they partook, for their maintenance. They decided who were clean, and unclean; and publicly taught the law of God to the people. They were many, because no man could do what was needful, to keep up the whole system of sacrifices; and because of their mortality, a succession was necessary. But they were all of one family, and viewed as a body, they point our attention to one great High priest. Did these priests typify our adored High priest of good things to come? (Heb. viii. 4, 5.) How fully attested, His Divine generation, and His royal descent! How perfect is His person, and nature! How free from every corruption, and every weakness tending to disqualify Him for His work! How solemn His call, and consecration by the Holy Ghost, and by His own blood! How sacred His robes of manhood, mediatorial office, and complete righteousness! How extensive his charge to atone for His people; to illuminate, nourish, order, judge, bless, encourage, and purify His church! How extensive the reward, on which His people for ever feast in the church here, and in the heavenly state! How terrible, the punishment of such as oppose Him, and by their self-righteousness, attempt to share in His proper work! How important for such as appear married to Him, to depart from iniquity! And shall those professing to be His children, indulge themselves in any unrighteousness?

Were not these priests emblems of gospel ministers ? They must be divinely called to their work, and qualified with gifts and graces for it; richly furnished with spiritual

knowledge; be blameless, sober, temperate, holy, and prudent; wholly given to their work, not entangling themselves with the deadening affairs of this life, nor joined in marriage with infamous women, nor in ecclesiastical fellowship with anti-Christian, idolatrous churches.

Always applying to themselves the blood and spirit of Jesus. They must preach the great Atonement, and devote themselves and hearers to God; and every sabbath exhibit Jesus on the gospel table as the shew-bread of life; daily offering the incense of fervent prayers; blow the gospel trumpet, calling and beseeching sinners to be reconciled to God; sounding the alarm of impending danger, and exciting war with sin, Satan, and the world. It is theirs, to explain the oracles of God; to remove erroneous glosses, and to cast out noithsome professors. It is theirs to bless the people, solve their doubts, restore the penitent, equally caring for the true happiness of the poor, as well as the rich; and according to their faithfulness, and diligence, ought to be their encouragement from the people; and shall be their everlasting reward.—Rev. J. Brown.

Shortly after, Jesus privately entered into Capernaum; but His return was soon known; for a multitude gathered to hear Him, and brought their diseased, more than both the house and space about the door could contain. Many Pharisees, and doctors of the law from Jerusalem, as well as Galilee, were present from curiosity, and rigidly to examine His discourses and miracles. Among the sick was a paralytic,* borne by four men in his bed, who

* Paralytic, one troubled with the palsy; a disease which injures the functions of the nerves; causing a privation of motion and feeling.

finding it impossible to pass so great a throng, yet confident of our Lord's compassion; boldly through the roof of the house, let the sick man down in his bed before Him. Jesus, pleased with so much faith and reliance; and to display His mercy and glory, first cured the poor creature's most valuable part, the soul; and calling him by the endearing name of son, bid him be of good cheer, for his sins were forgiven. This extraordinary authority, provoked the envy and indignation of the proud Scribes* and Pharisees, who secretly condemned Him as a blasphemer; since none could forgive sins but the Almighty. Jesus knowing their thoughts, demanded why they cherished such evil imaginations; and whether, they thought it more difficult to forgive the sins of a sick man, than to enable him to take up his bed and walk: therefore to show them, that He had both power to forgive sins, and to heal sicknesses, He bade the man arise, and take up his bed and depart to his house; which he immediately did, to their great amazement; which convinced many, and they glorified the Almighty; who had manifested such power on earth: and excited with reverential fear, declared they had seen strange and wonderful things that day. (Matt.

* See an account of the Scribes, end of Chapter.

viii. 2, 25, and ix. 2, 8; Mark i. 35, 45, and ii. 12; Luke v. 12, 26.

Our Lord again retired to the sea side; and passing along teaching, great multitudes followed: at length He came to the custom-house, where, seeing Matthew, called Levi, the son of Alpheus, a rich publican or tax-gatherer, sitting at his business, Jesus called to him to forsake his gainful employment, and follow Him, which he immediately did; thus showing the omnipotence of our Lord's command, in suddenly calling a man immersed in the business of the world, to become the follower and disciple, of a despised and poor Nazarene; and that no situation in life incapacitates us from the dedication of ourselves to the service of God: for even, the busy publican Matthew became an apostle, and also one of the Evangelists.

Thus we have the particulars, of our Lord's calling six of the twelve apostles; namely Philip, Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew; and after the call of Matthew, Jesus went to Jerusalem, to the second great Passover, occurring in the time of his public ministry; which happened on the 28th day of our month March, and one year, wanting ten days, of the last Passover.