5. The opening of the Mission, 9.' The Second Return to Galilee, 11. The Third Return to Galilee, THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION. WE often hear it said that we live in a Christian age, and in a Christian country; that we are favored in having Christian instruction, and dwelling under the protection and influence of Christian institutions. And it is so. We have a great many religious advantages which were unknown to our heathen forefathers. When God first created men, placed them on the earth, and told them that they might dwell there, and enjoy his bounties, he gave them a few laws by word of mouth, and a larger number in their natural feelings, which taught them when they had partaken of enough food, when they had wearied themselves by labor, and rested themselves by repose, when they were kind or unkind, when they told truth or falsehood, and other things as simple and as important as these. Some of these laws they soon broke, and brought on themselves the punishment of their sin; for God cannot suffer his laws to be broken, and not inflict upon men the due penalty, since it would encourage them in doing wrong, and teach them to mock his commandments. When sin was once brought into the world it quickly multiplied; for it suited men's natural desires, and they had not yet learned that it is far better to have constant temperate enjoyment, than to indulge in unbounded pleasure today, without any thought of tomorrow; that it is far better to look for happiness in obedience to God, than to seek for it in breaking his commandments. Yet all men did not go entirely astray from God: there were some who were wise enough to love and serve him, and to walk in his ways: and God spake to them, and blessed them, and told them that he would bless their children. As soon as the proper time was come, God led the descendants of those good men, whose children he had promised to bless, into a land which he had prepared for them, settled them in it, and gave them many laws to guide them, and guard them from sin; promising them that, while they were obedient, he would grant them prosperity, peace, and happiness. But though he had done so much for them, and had given them such just laws, they frequently rebelled against him, not following the holy example of their forefathers, and brought on themselves the punishment of their transgressions: they suffered many woes, much distress from wars, and most heavy misery from being carried away captive into foreign lands. On one occasion they suffered a captivity of seventy years, so that most of those who were transported to Babylon, the place of their long captivity, never returned again to their own country. During the fifteen hundred years that they dwelt in their land, God sent them many prophets and teachers, to warn them of their sins, "nd to declare that his punishments must fall on them unless they repented. This, however, produced but little effect on them, because |