sation on their journey, and they, conscious of their ill-timed ambition, made no reply. In order to rebuke them for such anxieties about rank and station, Jesus took a little child, and, placing it in the midst of them, said "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depths of the sea."

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Having thus recommended humility, innocence, and Christian charity, Jesus repeated his former advice respecting the forgiveness of injuries, and the dangerous state of those who placed impediments to the diffusion of Gospel truth, He also taught them the duty and importance of prayer, assuring them that whatever they agreed to ask the Father in his name would be granted.

After a short stay at Capernaum, some of our Lord's relations, who, it appears, were the most backward to believe in him, reproached him for

hiding himself in Galilee, and urged him to show himself at Jerusalem during the approaching feast of tabernacles; saying, "Depart hence, and go into Judæa, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world." Jesus replied, "My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast; I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come."

He remained some time longer in Galilee, where he chose seventy disciples, whom he sent, like the twelve apostles, to preach the Gospel throughout Judea, and confirm their doctrine by miracles. He then went privately to Jerusalem, where his absence had been remarked by the Pharisees, and arrived in the city towards the close of the feast. He travelled through part of the Samaritan territories, but was refused admission into one of their towns, in consequence of the ancient hostility between the Jews and the Samaritans. When "his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we

command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village."

About the middle of the feast of tabernacles Jesus appeared in the temple, and taught publicly, displaying such a minute and accurate knowledge of the sacred books that all who heard him were astonished. The Pharisees were so enraged by his influence over the multitude that they sent officers to apprehend him; but these emissaries were so delighted by his doctrine that they refused to execute their mission.

On the last day of the feast, Jesus took advantage of the ceremony of drawing water and bringing wood to the temple to discourse on those living waters which were to be imparted to true believers, meaning those graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit which, after his ascension, were to be poured upon the church. He stood in the midst of the assembly and exclaimed, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." The passage of Scripture to which our Lord

alluded is a portion of the prophecy of Isaiah, which is too important to be omitted.

"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the

LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

The application of this remarkable prophecy to the Messiah's kingdom was known familiarly to all the Jews, and consequently when Christ applied it to himself, a division arose among the multitude, some believing that none but the Messiah himself could use such exalted expressions, and others objecting that no prophet could come out of Galilee. The Pharisees, exasperated at the success of Christ's preaching, began to form plots against him, and, when Nicodemus, one of their number, who was secretly a disciple, remonstrated with them on their violence, they tumultuously reproached him with being a Galilean himself.

Jesus went that night out of the city, and retired