"believe and tremble" were to add their testimony before a wondering people.

In the Synagogue there was a man which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee, who thou art: the holy one of God." And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Hold thy peace, and come out of him." And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, "What a word is this? for with authority and power, he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out." It was the Word unto which every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

X.

The Close of the First Year.

From the Synagogue, Jesus with Peter and Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee entered into Peter's house. Here we may suppose was often the abode of Christ, after he made Capernaum "his own city." Peter's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her; and he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. As evening fell, and the close of the Jewish Sabbath came, multitudes of the sick were brought to him, and all the city was gathered together at the door. He healed all that were sick, and cast out many devils, suffering them not to speak, because they knew him. Thus in the relief of human wo, he fulfilled the saying of Esaias, "himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses."

Before it was yet day, he departed unto the desert of Galilee, and there prayed. And Simon, and they that were with him, followed him, and they said unto him, "Behold all men seek thee." And the people sought him, and came to him in the desert, staying him that he should not depart thence. But he said to his disciples,

"Let us go into the next town, that I may preach there also, for therefore came I forth." And throughout all Galilee he preached in their synagogues, and healed all manner of diseases; till from Galilee and Decapolis, from Jerusalem and Judea, multitudes of people came out to hear the Son of God, and to see the miracles that he performed.

And in a certain city-perhaps Cherazin or Bethsaida, for in those cities many of his wonderful works were done, behold a man full of leprosy; who, seeing Jesus, fell on his face, and besought him, saying, "Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean." And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, "I will, be thou clean ;" and immediately the leprosy departed from him. This loathsome disease, rendering the sufferer virtually and physically unclean, required the intervention of the priest in his sacerdotal character, before the patient could be readmitted to the society of his fellows. If he walked abroad he must keep himself afar off from other men, wear clothes ragged and dishevelled, a bare head, and his chin covered; and when any one approached him, cry out "Unclean!" When cured he was to present himself to the priest, and offer the sacrifice directed in such a case, that he might be formally pronounced cured, and admitted again into the congregation. Jesus charged the leper whom he had healed that he should say nothing to any man, but go straightway to the priest, and comply with the requisitions of the law. Perhaps this caution was intended. to prevent the priest from refusing to pronounce him clean.

But whatever was the motive, the man, in the joy of his heart, began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter; and people crowded to Jesus from every quarter, insomuch that he could no more openly enter the city, but was without in desert places.

When the excitement which had followed the cleansing of the leper was somewhat abated, Jesus re-entered Capernaum. And it was noised that he was in the house, and a multitude was gathered together, Pharisees and doctors of the law, out of every town of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem. The cure of the leper-since leprosy was directly recognised as the visitation of God, and its relief was a sacerdotal duty, had awakened much wonder and inquiry. Jesus preached the word unto them; and the power of the Lord was present to accompany the word with signs in the healing of diseases.

And behold a man, taken in a palsy, was brought in a bed; and his friends sought means to lay him before Jesus. And when they could not, for the press, approach him from the ground, they removed the roof of the court, and let him down into the midst before Jesus. The houses of the Jews were so constructed that the roofs served for promenades, and in the centre was a court, open to the sky, or covered with an awning. Jesus seeing their faith, and seeing also the disposition of the doctors. to cavil and to doubt, embraced this occasion to assert a power which belongs only to God; and to attest it by a miracle. He, therefore, before healing the paralytic of his

bodily infirmities, healed his soul of the taint of sin. "Son," he said, "be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee." The Scribes and Pharisees who sat there, began to reason in their hearts, "Why doth this man speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?" Jesus perceiving their thoughts, which for the people they dare not utter, said unto them, "Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier, to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee: or to say, Arise, take up thy bed and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins," he saith to the sick of the palsy, "I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way, unto thine own house." And he arose before them all, and took up the bed and departed, glorifying God. The multitude, who had seen him carried to the roof of the house, borne of four men, when they saw him come forth bearing his own couch, were amazed, saying, "We never saw it on this fashion." They glorified God and were filled with fear, for they said, "We have seen strange things to-day."

And as Jesus passed thence, he saw a publican named Matthew, otherwise called Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom. And he said unto him, follow me. And the publican arose, left all, and followed Jesus. The calling of this disciple was the closing act which is recorded of Jesus in Galilee, during the first year of his public ministry. All the land was full of the fame of his mighty works; and his divine power had been attested even for