learn about the Lord and heaven, and to make the day as heavenly as we can. Then it will be a help towards the true heavenly rest when there is no more hard effort in putting away wrong thoughts and feelings, and in doing right.

The Jews forgot that the Sabbath ought to be a heavenly day, that they ought to think about the Lord and heaven, and that they ought to do good, kind things which would make the day like heaven. They said that people must keep the day by not doing the least thing that was useful. They must not walk but a little way; they must carry only the least little thing. They must do almost nothing to help those that were sick. There were large books full of rules about what could be and could not be done. If one kept them he would surely not make the day at all like heaven. Did the Lord keep the Sabbath so? He healed the sick and did

(Copyright, 1903, by C. H. Graves, Phila.)

At a village well.

works of kindness on that day more than on other days. On that day He taught the people in the synagogue.

It was a Sabbath day. The Lord was walking with the disciples in one of the beaten paths through the wheat fields. There were no walls or fences. As they walked the Lord was teaching, and the disciples as they listened picked some of the ears of wheat which overhung the path,

and rubbed out the grains in their hands and ate them. There were some who found fault, not because they had taken the grain, for it was the law among the Jews that a traveller might pick what he wanted to eat; but they found fault because the disciples had done this work on the Sabbath. But the Lord said that they did no wrong. Indeed

the disciples' eating as they walked was a picture of what we all do on the Sabbath day if we listen to the Lord's teaching and are strengthened by it in heavenly life.

At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.—Matthew XII. 1–8.

*

Read what happened on another Sabbath.

And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: and, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.-Matthew XII. 9–14.

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

WE remember the beautiful shore where the Sea of Galilee and the plain of Gennesaret meet, where Capernaum stood, which was the Lord's home after leaving Nazareth, and where the fishermen lived whom the Lord called to be His

* You can read about David and the shewbread in 1 Sam. xxi. David eating the holy bread of the tabernacle and sharing it with others represented the Lord strengthening Himself with the Divine knowledge of what is good and imparting of that strength, by His instruction, to those about Him. Like the eating of the grain as they walked, it was a true picture of the Sabbath. The priests busy in the temple were still another picture of heavenly usefulness, which is the real Sabbath.

disciples. From the southern corner of the green plain a valley opens up into the hills, with steep rocky sides. Clouds of pigeons fly out from its cliffs giving it the name of the "Pigeon Valley." Looking up the valley from the shore we see a mountain much higher than the rest. It has a broad top rising a little at either end, and is called the "Horns of Hattin." Hattin is a little town near by. The people living in the plain and sailing on the sea often looked up to this mountain above their home, and we think of it as the moun

(By permission of Palestine Exploration Fund.)

Plain and Horns of Hattin, from ruins of Irbid.

tain into which the Lord led the disciples and the multitude, to speak to them the Blessings and Sermon on the Mount.

Come with me up through the valley and climb the steep slope. As we saw from below, the top is broad, rising higher at either end. In fact, there is a sort of natural wall all about enclosing a large level space in the mountain's top. From the highest points, what a wide, beautiful view! Meadows checkered with many-colored crops, and green hills crowned here and there by little towns; far in the north, overlooking all the rest, the snowy ridge of Hermon. Below us as we face the Sea of Galilee are lovely sweeps of meadow, reaching to the brink, beyond which we see the dark blue water in its deep basin, and fainter blue mountains on the eastern shore. At our feet the meadows are broken by the

rugged gorge up which we came, and through this opening we see the head of the Sea of Galilee and the lovely plain of Gennesaret, in the old time so green and so full of busy life.

This mountain-top is a peaceful, sunny place up above the busy world. It seems a fitting place for the Lord to lift the thoughts of the

people to higher things; to help them to look down on their every-day life, and to teach them the heavenly motives from which Christian people ought to live. Perhaps it was in one of the higher tops that He spent the night in prayer, and in the morning

appointed the twelve apostles. Then He came down to a level place, perhaps to this little plain between the mountain's "horns," and sitting here with them in this peaceful spot above the world, taught them the Blessings and the rest of the Sermon on the Mount.

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

God.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart:
Blessed are the peacemakers:

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for their's is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.Matthew V. 1-12.

The Lord went on to tell the disciples and others what power for good they would have in the world, if they faithfully lived the heavenly truth which He was teaching them.

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.Matthew V. 13-16.

(By permission of Palestine Exploration Fund.)

Plain of Gennesaret: mountain of the Blessings in the distance.

The Ten Commandments were still and are forever the laws of life, but the Lord showed that they must be kept in thought and feeling, as well as in act, if life is to be genuinely good.

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto