about ceremonies, and all the outward forms of religion; but were, at the same time, very deceitful, avaricious, and hypocritical. They carried these outward forms to a ridiculous, and often very injurious extent, forgetting that the genuine spirit of religion consists in love to God and love to man. Hence, though the disciples were hungry, they would have forbidden them so much as to stretch out their hands and take the food that was before them, because gathering and rubbing out the grains was work. Their feeling for men was lost in their superstitious interpretation of a good and merciful law, intended not as a snare but as a blessing.

Jesus showed them that their venerated monarch David had not so strictly interpreted the law of Moses, when he satisfied the hunger of himself and his followers with bread that was set apart for the use of the priests alone. He also reminded them that on every sabbath day the priests in the temple did what might properly be called work, and yet no one blamed them for it, because it was necessary to the service of the temple. He told them that compassion for their fellow-creatures was far

holier, in the sight of God, than any outward observances; that the sabbath was made for man, for his rest, comfort, and advantage; and that man was not made for the sabbath, so as to be prevented from doing good, innocent, and necessary things, upon that day, because they were work, or might ingeniously be made to appear so. He concluded by firmly and clearly asserting that, since man and his good were the object of the law, he, as the messenger of God, had power and authority to do and to permit whatever he saw to be right on the sabbath day. 'Therefore the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.'

In his visit to Galilee at this time, Jesus made another attempt to draw toward himself the candid attention of the people of Nazareth. He went into the synagogue, or place of assembly, so called because they assembled there for reading the scriptures, exhortation, and prayer, and, according to a custom of the Jews, stood up to read. Any one had liberty to offer himself for this purpose; but before he could read, leave must be given by the proper officer. The book of Isaiah was given to Jesus, and he unrolled it till he found the place in

which are these words: The spirit of the Lord is upon me: wherefore he hath anointed me to preach glad tidings to the poor; he hath sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty the oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.' Having rolled up the book, he gave it again to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all who were in the synagogue were earnestly fixed upon him. Then he spoke to them, beginning his discourse with these words Today is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.' In their hearts they bore

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testimony to his character and his deeds, they wondered at the kind and noble words which he spoke, but they remembered his origin, and said, Is not this the son of Joseph?' replied, 'No prophet is acceptable in his own country.' After some further discourse, in which he intimated that he should do no miracles among them, they became so enraged, that they thrust him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the steep hill on which it was built, and would have thrown him down a precipice to destroy him; but he escaped from them, and departed.

He went from Nazareth to the lake of Gennesaret, called also the sea of Tiberias, and sometimes the sea of Galilee. He there found Simon Peter, James, and John, who had been fishing all night, but had not caught any fish. He bade them cast their nets into the sea again, and they caught a great multitude, so that both their vessels were filled and ready to sink. They were astonished and afraid, it was so wonderful: but he bade them not fear, and told them to come and follow him. This they did, and were almost constantly with him during the remainder of his life and labors.

Jesus was in the habit of frequent prayer, sometimes alone, and sometimes with his disciples. On one occasion when he had been praying with them, or at least in their presence, they asked him to teach them to pray: he taught them the short, beautiful, and comprehensive prayer, which we call the Lord's prayer;' and discoursed to them afterward on being sincere and earnest in their prayers, promising that God would hear and answer prayers so offered.

CHAPTER X.

THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.

THIS feast was appointed to commemorate the dwelling of the Israelites in tents during their passage through the wilderness. Their harvest was also then all gathered in, and they offered thanksgivings for the varied fruits of the earth. This was the third of those feasts at which it was the duty of every Jew, who had arrived at the proper age, to go up to Jerusalem. Jesus did not, on this occasion, go with his family and friends; but let them go first, and then went up more privately. The Jews, however, expected that he would be there, and sought him, some saying that he was a good man, and others that he was only deceiving the people.

The feast lasted eight days. In the middle of it Jesus went up into the temple and taught. The Jews wondered at his knowledge, because he had not been instructed by their learned men; but Jesus told them that his doctrine was from God, and that if they earnestly desired