prophets; "Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael was assured, from the predictions concerning the Messiah, that he was to be descended from the line of David, and born in the city of Bethlehem, and therefore discovered an amazement at his being called Jesus of Nazareth: "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Can that most contemptible of places, Nazareth, be supposed to have given birth to the mighty Saviour, the Prince of Peace, especially as it was expressly foretold by the prophet, that he was to be born in Bethlehem, the city of David?

Notwithstanding the improbability of such an event, Nathanael listened to Philip, and determined on an examination of the person whom he said was the promised Messiah. Accordingly, under his direction, he repaired to the blessed Jesus, who, knowing his character, saluted him on his approach with this honorable appellation, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile!

Nathanael, amazed at our Lord's pertinent address, as he had never before seen him, asked by what means he obtained such precise knowledge of him? Our Lord replied, he had seen him under the fig-tree. Probably Nathanael had been praying under the fig-tree, and been overheard by our Lord, who, from the substance of his prayer, thus concluded his character; for when the blessed Jesus informed him that he gave him that character on account of what had passed under the figtree, Nathanael perceived that he knew not only what had passed at a distance, but had access to the inmost thoughts of the heart, a property not allotted to mortals, and therefore exclaimed with rapture, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel.”

Our Saviour then told him, he should hereafter have much stronger testimonials of the divinity of his mission, when he should be eye-witness to what the old patriarch Jacob had before seen in a vision - the angels of heaven descending and ascending, to attend the person, and execute the commands of the Son of Man: an appellation our blessed Lord assumed, not only as considering his humanity, but in order to fulfill most peremptorily that remarkable prediction of the prophet Daniel concerning him: "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Dan. vii: 13, 14.

The great Redeemer, having attended the divinity of his mission by many incontestible evidences, and made five disciples, departed for Galilee, where, soon after his arrival, he was invited, with his mother and disciples, to a marriage feast at Cana, a place near Nazareth. At these nuptials there happened to be a scarcity of wine, and his mother, who interested herself in the conduct of the feast, and was therefore desirous that everything should be done with decorum, applied to her Son, hoping he would be able to remedy the defect. She had, doubtless, conceived he had the power of working miracles, and was therefore desirous that he would give proof of his ability in the presence of her friends, who were assembled at the marriage.

Addressing herself, therefore, to her Son, she told

him, "They have no wine." Our Lord gently reproved her, in these words, "Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come:" that is, the time or period of my public ministry is not yet arrived; nor is it time for me to display my supernatural powers.

Notwithstanding this mild reproof, his mother still entertained an opinion that he would interest himself in behalf of her and the company, and therefore ordered the servants punctually to obey his commands.

Our blessed Lord, being assured that working a miracle would greatly tend to confirm the faith of his young disciples, exerted his divine power, by ordering the servants to fill six water pots, containing each about twenty gallons, with water; which was no sooner done, than the whole was converted into excellent wine.

He then ordered them to draw, and bear to the governor of the feast; who, being ignorant of the mir acle that had been wrought, and astonished at the preference of this wine, to that which had been served up at the beginning of the feast, addressed himself to the bridegroom, in the hearing of the whole company, telling him that contrary to the usual custom, he had reserved the best wine to the last, at the same time commending so judicious a practice, as a plain proof of his approbation of his friends present at the entertainment. The bridegroom was equally surprised at the address of the governor of the feast, and the occasion of it, which was effected by the supernatural power of our blessed Lord.

This miracle, which was the first wrought by Jesus, confirmed the faith of his followers, and spread his renown through the adjacent country.

CHAPTER V.

EXPULSION OF THE PROFANERS OF THE TEMPLE-JESUS CONVERSES WITH NICODEMUS-BAPTIZES IN JUDEA- INSTRUCTS A POOR SAMARITAN HEALS A SICK PERSON AT CAPERNAUM-RETIRES AGAIN TO Nazareth, AND IS EXPELLED THENCE BY HIS IMPIOUS COUNTRYMEN.

UR blessed Lord, immediately on his arrival at Jerusalem, repaired to the temple, where he was shocked at beholding a place dedicated to the solemn service of Almighty God, so prostituted to purposes of fraud and avarice, and become the resort of traders. of every kind. It is evident there must have been a grand market for oxen, sheep, and doves, at such times, for Josephus tells us, that no less than two hundred and fifty-six thousand victims were offered at one passover.

Such abuse could not long escape his notice or correction, having an absolute right to chastise so flagrant a perversion of a place that, strictly speaking, was his "The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple; even the Messenger of the Covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts."

own.