GENNESARETH.

upon the waters, with the waves high around him, his heart failed him, and as his faith departed, he began to sink. "While he believed, the sea was brass; when once he began to distrust, those waves were water." (Hall.) In this desperate case, he did the very best thing that could be done, he cried to Jesus for help-"Lord save me; I perish!" And Jesus saved him; he stretched forth his hand, and caught him, saying, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" They then entered the vessel; which they had no sooner done than the wind went down. So strongly were the disciples impressed by these circumstances, that they came and worshipped him, saying, "Of a truth thou art the Son of God!"

They came to shore in the "Land of Gennesaret," in which the town of Capernaum was situated. It was then morning, and

Christ being immediately recognised, he was soon attended by the usual crowd. Wherever he went, the news of his coming went before him, and all the sick were brought out hastily in their beds and laid in the streets through which he was to pass; and they who were so happy as but to touch the hem of his garment as he went by, were immediately cured of the diseases with which they were afflicted.

The morning after Christ had re-crossed the lake, the people who had partaken of the loaves and fishes, still continuing their search for him, concluded, from the absence of the vessel in which he had arrived, that he had taken his departure.

On this, so many of them as could find boats to convey them over, hastened across the lake after him. When they had found him at Capernaum, they asked, "Rabbi, when camest thou hither?" which he answered by reprehending them, as now seeking him only because they had received food for the body, and were now in hopes that he would exhibit new miracles for their benefit. Then, taking advantage of the state of consciousness which this accusation had produced, he urged them to seek that spiritual nourishment "the bread of life," which he only could bestow. The important discourse in which this view was enforced is continued in the sixth chapter of St. John's Gospel; and it is remarkable, beyond many other parts of the sacred narrative, for the effect produced on the hearers, who frequently interposed their objections, and who were so much offended at some of our Lord's sayings on this occasion, that many, even of the disciples, who had hitherto followed Jesus, left him and departed to their own homes. The chosen twelve, however, remained steady.

When Christ pointedly asked them, "Will ye also go away?"

Peter, in the name of the rest, answered, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the son of the living God."

THE COASTS OF TYRE AND SIDON.

CHAPTER XVIII.

CONVERSATION OF JESUS WITH THE SYRO-PHOENICIAN WOMAN-CURE OF THE DEAF AND DUMB -MIRACLE OF THE LOAVES AND FISHES REPEATED-THE BLIND CURED AT BETHSAIDACHRIST'S CONVERSATION WITH HIS DISCIPLES-PETER'S DECLARATION OF FAITH-OUR LORD'S HARGE TO PETER-HIS SUBSEQUENT SEVERE REPROOF OF THAT APOSTLE.

T was now the time of the Passover, being the third Passover since the baptism of Jesus. But this year he did not go up to Jerusalem, knowing that the Jews of Judea only sought an occasion to put him to death. He, therefore, remained in Galilee with his disciples. He was not, however, allowed to carry on his proceedings unquestioned in Galilee, for certain adepts in the law came to him from Jerusalem after the Passover, hoping to confound him with their objections; but they were only confounded in the attempt.

Soon after Jesus proceeded to that part of Phoenicia dependant upon Tyre and Sidon, which, as well as all the rest of Syria, was now under the dominion of the Romans. Here the inhabitants were chiefly Gentiles; but many Jews were settled among them, and they were, for Gentiles, unusually well acquainted with the Jews, and with their religion and habits of life. As it was not the object of Jesus to preach to the Gentiles, and he must have

come hither chiefly for privacy, and to keep himself out of Herod's jurisdiction without going to Judea, he desired his disciples not to make him known. But "he could not be hid." The arrival in those parts of the famous Jewish prophet soon became known. One of the first to avail herself of his presence was a woman of the country, "whose daughter had an unclean spirit." This woman cast herself at his feet, beseeching him to heal her daughter. But he answered not a word. This

might have discouraged a less earnest and less believing soul. But she would not be refused. A mother's love urged her on. She followed, crying, "Have mercy on me!" although it was not for herself, but for her daughter, that she besought him: but in that daughter all the affections of her forlorn heart were garnered up, and, therefore, she implored mercy as for herself. Still Jesus heeded not; but the disciples, distressed by her importunity, came to him, and begged him to send her away by a favourable answer. But he answered, alluding to the relation

the dogs."

THE DEAF AND DUMB RESTORED.

in which the covenant people stood to the rest of the world:"It is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to Overhearing this, the woman replied, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table." Jesus was moved at this, and answered, "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt." The sacred historian adds, “And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."

the youth had become deaf Beholding him with pity,

Returning from Phoenicia towards the Sea of Galilee, a young man deprived of hearing and speech was brought to him to be cured. From the circumstance that he spoke as soon as his tongue was loosened, which if deaf and dumb from birth he could not have done without a distinct miracle, greater than even that of the cure, it is supposed that and dumb by disease or accident. our Lord took him aside, from the gathering crowd; and then, touching his tongue, and putting his fingers into his ears, he raised his eyes to heaven in the act of mental prayer, and said, "Be opened." At that word the string which had so long held the tongue in bondage was severed, and the ears, dead so long, became at once sensible of sound. He heard distinctly and spoke plainly. And the Lord then returned him to his rejoicing friends, who, although enjoined silence, could not control their gladness, but proclaimed the matter everywhere, saying, "He hath done all things well-he maketh the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak."

Some commentators remark that in the previous miracle Jesus by curing an idolatrous woman, and in this by curing one who, as being deaf and dumb, was an atheist, knowing nothing of any religion, showed he was the Saviour of the whole human race. This assumes that the youth had been born deaf and dumb: and,