peatedly sustaining nature, could easily multiply these five loaves and two fishes; for, as the Psalmist justly observes, He openeth his hand, and filleth all things living with plenteousness. Accordingly, he looked up to heaven, and returned thanks to God, the liberal giver of all good things, for his infinite beneficence in furnishing food for all, and for the power he had conferred on him of relieving mankind by his miracles, particularly for that he was about to work. Having done, looking on the loaves and fishes, he blessed them; and so efficacious was his blessing, that they were multiplied into a quantity sufficient to supply the wants of five thousand men, besides women and children, who, on the most favorable supposition, must at least amount to an equal number. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. After they were all satisfied our Lord ordered the fragments to be gathered up, which being done, so exuberant was the supply that they filled twelve baskets. Thus did the compassionate and powerful Redeemer feed many thousand people with five barley loaves and two small fishes, giving at once a magnificent proof both of his power and goodness.

This great and astonishing miracle made such an impression on the minds of the multitude, that they had not the least doubt of our Lord's being the long promised Messiah, and were therefore resolved to set him up for their king by main force. But he, knowing the mischief of such a design, constrained his disciples (who, perhaps, were forward enough to join with the multitude) immediately to take shipping, and sail for Capernaum. Having thus sent away the disciples, our Lord, after spending some time in delivering heavenly instructions to the multitude, dismissed them, and then retired to the summit of a mountain, where he spent the remainder of the night in meditation and prayer.

In the mean time the ship in which the apostles were, was so tossed about by a dreadful storm that they could make but little way towards their intended port. The waves ran so high, and the wind was so contrary, that,

when morning appeared, they had not got more than a league on their voyage. While they were in this distressed situation their heavenly Master (who had beheld them from the mountain) came to their assistance, walking on the foaming surface of the sea. As soon as they beheld him they were struck with astonishment, and, taking him for a Spirit, shrieked for fear. But our Lord soon removed the horrors of their minds, by informing them who he was. Be of good cheer, said he: It is I; be not afraid.

Peter, who was a man of a more warm and forward temper than the rest, beholding Jesus walking on the sea, was exceedingly amazed, and conceived the strongest desire of being enabled to perform so wonderful an action. Accordingly, without the least reflection, he immediately besought his Master that he would order him to come to him on the water. He did not doubt but that Jesus would gratify his request, as it sufficiently intimated that he would readily undertake any thing, however difficult, at his command.

To convince this forward disciple of the weakness of his faith, and render him more diffident of his own strength, our Blessed Lord was pleased to grant his request, by ordering him to come to him upon the water. Peter joyfully obeyed the Divine command; he left the boat, and walked on the surface of the sea. But the wind increasing made a dreadful noise, and the boisterous waves at the same time threatened every moment to overwhelm him. His faith was now staggered, and his presence of mind forsook him: he forgot that his Saviour was at his hand; and in proportion as his faith decreased, the waters yielded, and he sunk. In this extremity he looked around for his Master; and, when on the brink of being swallowed up, cried out, Lord, save me! His cry was not disregarded by his compassionate Saviour: He stretched forth his hand and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? He then set him again upon the top of the water, and walked with him to the vessel, which they had no sooner entered, than the winds ceased, and the storm subsided. This miracle greatly astonished the rest of the

disciples, who, prostrating themselves before their great Master, acknowledged his Omnipotence, and admitted the divinity of his power and person, saying, of a truth thou art the son of God.

The vessel having gained the intended port, our Lord proceeded with his disciples to Capernaum, whither his arrival was no sooner known than he was followed by prodigious numbers of people from various parts of the country, who brought with them their sick and diseased to be healed. Our Lord, ever ready and willing to listen to the petitions of the distressed, immediately set about performing the like beneficent acts he had heretofore done; but the multiplicity of the supplicants was so great that it was inconvenient for him to bestow particular attention on each of them. In consequence of this they earnestly besought him, that they might only touch the hem of his garment; and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

The multitude, whom our Lord had miraculously fed in the desert, were in expectation of finding him, the next morning, on the mountain: they had seen the disciples take shipping without their master, and no other vessel left for him, and therefore did not doubt but they should very readily meet with him. After searching for him some time in vain, they concluded he must, by some means or other, have followed his disciples, and having an opportunity of other vessels from Tiberias, the greater part of them embarked, and went over to Capernaum, where they found him teaching in the synagogue. Astonished at seeing him there, they desired to know of him how he got thither? But, instead of gratifying their curiosity, our Lord, who knew their corrupt expectations, and that they came after him, not so much from his miraculous gifts, as the gratification of their own appetites, took occasion from thence to discourse to them on a certain food different from what he had given them in the desert, a food which infinitely more deserved their notice, and whereof the manna in the wilderness was no more than a figure, or type. What this food was he signified to them, viz. the merits of his future death and passion, VOL. iii. 3 E

which alone could be available for the obtaining of eternal life to such as believed in his Divine Mission.

But these sublime truths, which, for the present, our Lord thought proper to couch in figurative terms, so perplexed the intellects of the greater part of his hearers, that, mistaking the words in a literal, which he intended in a spiritual, sense, they immediately left the synagogue, and great numbers, who for a long time had been his strict followers, totally deserted him.

When our Lord saw so many of the people, whom he knew to have been long his followers, quit the synagogue, he began to call in question the fidelity of his very apostles; and therefore, turning himself to them, he said, Will ye also go away? To this Peter (in behalf of all 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 that Christ, the Son of the living God. But, notwithstanding this liberal and frank confession, Our Lord gave them to understand, that they were not equally sound, for among the twelve whom he had selected, one of them should prove a traitor. By this he meant Judas Iscariot, who, from his conduct afterwards, justly deserved that epithet.

The season of the grand passover being near at hand, our Blessed Lord, accompanied by his disciples, went to Jerusalem to attend that ceremony. But while he was there, the Jews being offended at his discourse in the synagogue of Capernaum, formed a design against his life, of which our Lord being informed, after the festival was over, he left the city, and retired into Galilee.

Soon after our Lord's return into Galilee, a certain number of Scribes and Pharisees were sent thither from Jerusalem, in order to be spies upon his actions, and to scrutinize upon his doctrine. These men, observing, that, when he and his disciples were to eat, they frequently sat down without washing their hands, contrary to the common custom of the Jews, which (as they pretended) was founded upon a tradition, expostulated with him on the reason for so doing. But our Lord, instead of giving them any direct answer, put a question to them by way of recrimination, viz. Why they, by their pretended tra

ditions, vacated the laws of God, particularly that so solemn a one of honoring their parents, and relieving them in their wants? Having put this question, our Lord, considering them as so many hypocrites with whom he did not chuse to hold any farther converse, turned himself to the multitude, and informed them," that true "piety did not consist in outward ceremonies, but in a "sincere observance of the laws of God; that no pollu"tion could be in what entered into a man's mouth, but "only in what proceeded from it; for (as he afterwards "explained it to his disciples) whatever we eat does not "affect the mind, the only seat of defilements, for it "passes into the stomach, and is thrown out of the body, "so that, be it never so gross or unclean, it cannot pollute "the eater. All the pollution is from within, from the "corruption of the heart, such as impure thoughts, un-. "chaste desires, unholy purposes, immodest and inde"cent speeches, &c. These are the things that leave a "lasting stain upon the soul, which a thing, so merely "external as omitting to wash before meat, cannot do."

This was a doctrine which was far from being agreeable to the Pharisees; but they were a set of people, whose censure he justly despised, blind leaders of the blind, (as he very properly called them) whose vain traditions, as having nothing of Divine institution in them, it was his purpose to abolish.

From Galilee our Lord went to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, where he entered into an house, with a design of concealing himself from the multitude. He had not, however, been long there before a Syro-Phoenician woman, hearing where he was, went to him, and earnestly requested that he would cure her daughter, who was sadly tormented with a devil. Our Lord (for the trial of her faith) seemed, at first, to take no notice of her, until his disciples, to get rid of her importunities, besought him to grant her request, and dismiss her. Our Lord told them then his ministry was confined to the people of Judea, nor was he properly sent to any, but the lost sheep of the House of Israel. All this the poor woman heard, but so far was she from being discouraged, that, advancing nearer, she threw herself prostrate at the feet of Jesus, worshipped