and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Dan. vii. 13, 14. The great Redeemer, having attested the divinity of his mission by many incontestible evidences, and made five disciples, departed for Galilee, where, soon after his arrival, he was invited, with his mother and disciples, to a marriage feast at Cana, a place near Nazareth. At these nuptials there happened to be a scarcity of wine, and his mother, who interested herself in the conduct of the feast, and was therefore desirous that everything should be done with decorum, applied to her Son, hoping he would be able to remedy the defect. She had, doubtless, conceived he had the power of working miracles, and was therefore desirous that he would give proof of his ability in the presence of her friends, who were assembled at the marriage. Addressing herself, therefore, to her Son, she told him, "They have no wine." Our Lord gently reproved her, in these words, "Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come:" that is, the time or period of our public ministry is not yet arrived; nor is it time for me to display my natural powers. Notwithstanding this mild reproof, his mother still entertained an opinion that he would interest himself in behalf of her and the company, and therefore ordered the servants punctually to obey his cominands. Our blessed Lord, being assured that working a miracle would greatly tend to confirm the faith of his young disciples, exerted his divine power, by ordering the servants to fill six water pots, containing each about twenty gallons, with water; which was no sooner done, than the whole was converted into excellent wine. He then ordered them to draw, and bear to the governor of the feast; who, being ignorant of the miracle that had been wrought, and astonished at the preference of this wine, to that which had been served up at the beginning of the feast, addressed himself to the bridegroom, in the hearing of the whole company, telling him that, contrary to the usual custom, he had reserved the best wine to the last, at the same time commending so judicious a practice, as a plain proof of his approbation of his friends present at the entertainment. The bridegroom was equally surprised at the address of the governor of the feast, and the occasion of it, which was effected by the supernatural power of our blessed Lord. This miracle, which was the first wrought by Jesus, confirmed the faith of his followers, and spread his renown throughout the adjacent country. 5* CHAPTER V. Expulsion of the Profaners of the Temple. Jesus converses with OUR blessed Lord, immediately on his arrival at Jerusalem, repaired to the temple, where he was not a little shocked at beholding a place dedicated to the solemn service of Almighty God, so prostituted to purposes of fraud and avarice, and become the resort of traitors of every kind. It is evident there must have been a grand market for oxen, sheep, and doves, at such times, for Josephus tells us no less than two hundred and fifty-six thousand victims were offered at one passover. Such abuse could not long escape his notice or correction, having an absolute right to chastise so flagrant a perversion of a place that, strictly speaking, was his own. "The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple; even the Messenger of the Covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts." Accordingly, the blessed Jesus, whose pious soul was vexed at their profanation of the sacred place, drove out the traders, and overset the tables of the money-changers, saying unto them that sold doves, 1 |