after Sabbath He had worshipped at the village synagogue. We know that He did so, for St. Luke tells us that on this Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, "as His custom was," and He stood up to read the lesson taken from the Prophets.

The people of Nazareth had heard of the miracles of Jesus, so they listened eagerly to Him, and wondered at His gracious words; but when He told them that the words of the prophet Isaiah* He had just read were that day fulfilled in Him-that He was the Messiah, the Saviour-they began to be offended, and said, "Is not this the son of Joseph?" But they were a great deal more angry when He said that sometimes Gentiles and lepers had more faith than the Jews. They would hear Him no longer, but hurried him by force out of the synagogue to a high place, meaning to cast Him down and kill Him. Ah! how little did these wicked people of Nazareth know what they were doing, and how easily might our Lord have hurled them down and destroyed them for ever; but the time of judgment had not yet come. Jesus was always meek and patient,

*Isaiah lxi. 1-3.

and now He saved the men of Nazareth from the great sin of shedding the blood of the Holy Son of God. He passed through them unharmed, for by His Almighty power He escaped from them, and leaving Nazareth, He went to Capernaum, a large town on the Lake of Gennesaret. When Jesus came to the lake, so many people crowded around Him, and pressed upon Him, that He could not well preach to them. So He got into Simon Peter's boat, which was lying on the sandy beach, and when they had pushed off a little way from land, He sat in the boat and taught the people as they stood on the shore.

When Jesus had finished His sermon, He told Simon Peter to push further off into deeper water and let down the net. Simon Peter and Andrew his brother had worked all night and taken nothing, "Nevertheless," said Simon to his Master Jesus, "at Thy word I will let down the net." Then Peter and Andrew caught so many fishes that their net began to break, but with the help of James and John, who were in another boat, they filled both boats so full of fish that they were in danger of sinking.

They were all astonished at the great draught, and at Christ's Almighty power, and they felt that they were with the Holy One Jesus, but that they were unholy and sinful. So Simon fell down at

the feet of Jesus, and said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Simon did not say this because he wished Jesus really to leave him, but because he felt that he was not worthy to be with so holy and good a Master. But Jesus

answered, "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." Jesus meant by this, that by the preaching of Peter many men would believe on Him, and would join His holy Church.

Simon and Andrew, and James and John, had already followed Jesus from the banks of the Jordan to Galilee; but now they forsook everything to be with Him always.

Jesus taught in the synagogue in Capernaum just as He had at Nazareth and other places. One Sabbath day, when He had been preaching in the synagogue, a man who had an evil spirit was present. This wicked spirit knew Jesus to be the Son of God, and speaking by the man's mouth, he cried out in rage and terror, and said, "I know Thee, who Thou art, the Holy One of God!" But Jesus silenced the wicked pirit by His Almighty power, and made him leave the man, so that the people wondered greatly, and said, "With power He commandeth the unclean. spirits, and they obey Him."

From the synagogue our Lord went to the house of Simon Peter, and there He cured Peter's wife's mother of a fever. Jesus needed not to use a

F

medicine; He only spoke a word, and the fever left her. It did not leave her weak and hardly able to move, as fevers generally do; but she was strong at once, for she was able to wait on them, and get ready their midday meal.

These wonders soon got known in the town of Capernaum, for that very evening the people brought their sick to the door of the house where Jesus was, and He healed them every one.

How many hearts must Jesus have made glad! How many people owed their health and happiness to His healing power and great pity!

CHAPTER XVIII.

Jesus heals the paralytic man, and forgives him his sins.-The Scribes murmur against Jesus.

Read Matt. ix. 1-8; St. Mark ii. 1-12; St. Luke v. 17-26. ESUS did not preach in Capernaum only, but He went through the towns of Galilee,

teaching the people and healing the sick. When He returned to Capernaum they brought to Him a man who had the palsy-who was paralytic; his limbs had lost their power, so that he