towards the mount of Olives. In the morning he returned, and began to preach in the temple, saying, " I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” The Pharisees objected that he was thus giving testimony of himself, and consequently that his evidence was worthless; but Jesus replied that he had the testimony of Moses, the prophets, and John the Baptist, but especially of his heavenly Father, as had been proved by the stupendous miracles performed before their eyes. He added that Abraham, of whom they boasted, had seen his coming with the eye of faith, and when the Jews doubted, he added, "Before Abraham was I AM." This express declaration of his divinity gave so much offence that an attempt was made upon his life, which he only escaped by quitting the Temple.

CHAPTER IX.

THE THIRD YEAR OF CHRIST'S MINISTRY,

CONTINUED.

AFTER Jesus had left Jerusalem on his return to Galilee, the seventy disciples, whom he had sent to preach the Gospel, "returned again with joy, saying,

Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

When he was giving some further directions to his disciples, a certain doctor of the law asked him, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus, in reply, referred him to the Mosaic Law, the sum and substance of which consisted in loving God above all things, and our neighbours as ourselves. The lawyer further enquired, "who is my neighbour?" and our Lord, knowing that the Jews were so narrowminded as not to acknowledge any persons their neighbours but those of their own sect and nation, related the following parable. "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jerico, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and

looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was : and, when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out a sum of money sufficient for his support, and gave it to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?" The lawyer replied, "He that shewed mercy on him." Then said Jesus unto him, "Go, and do thou likewise."

The village of Bethany was on the road to Galilee, and when Jesus stopped at the house of a person named Lazarus, who had two sisters, named Martha and Mary. These upon his arrival employed themselves very differently; Martha busied herself in preparing a costly entertainment, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to his heavenly discourse. Martha complained that Mary left all the care of the entertainment to her, upon which Jesus replied, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about

many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

From Bethany Jesus proceeded into Galilee; on his road the disciples besought him to teach them to pray, as John also taught his followers. In compliance with their request, he taught them that beautiful composition, the Lord's prayer, and at the same time strongly impressed upon them the importance and advantage of making frequent supplications to God, declaring, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

While teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day, Jesus beheld a poor decrepit woman, who had been for eighteen years bowed down by some

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weakening disease, so that she could not raise her head. Our blessed Lord immediately took compassion on her, removed her disease, and she, standing erect, glorified God. The ruler of the synagogue, who was one of the Pharisaic sect, reproved our Lord for performing this work of mercy on a Sabbath day, but Jesus replied, "Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" This convincing admonition silenced the Pharisees for the time, but on several subsequent occasions they repeated the charge, and accused Jesus of violating the Sabbath. This was more particularly the case in consequence of the cure of a blind young man whom Jesus met in the streets of Jerusalem, when he came up to the feast of the dedication, a solemnity instituted by the Maccabees, to commemorate their deliverance from the tyranny of the Syrians. The disciples, according to the Jewish superstition, asked our Lord whether the calamity of blindness had befallen the young man on account of his own sins, or the sins of his parents. Jesus answered that this disease was