The first miracle which Jesus performed was in Cana a city of Galilee. Jesus was invited to a marriage feast, with his mother and some of his disciples. When wine was wanted and his mother told him that there was none, he ordered the servants to set before him six waterpots of stone, containing two or three firkins each; then he said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water: And they filled them up to the brim: And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast: And they bare it." But it had now become wine instead of water.

Whilst Jesus was at Capernaum, he healed many sick and diseased persons: A Roman centurion came amongst the rest begging him to heal a servant of his, who lay at home sick of the palsy. Jesus promised to go to him and heal him, but the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." To believe that Jesus could cure his favourite servant, without even going to the place where he lay, showed such entire faith in his power, that even Jesus was astonished and said to his followers, "Verily, I say unto

you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel." -He then said to the centurion, "Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee: And his servant was healed in the self same hour."

66

They brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his words and healed all that were sick." Fulfilling that which had been spoken by the prophet Esaias, saying, "Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses."

The multitude who surrounded Jesus, became sometimes so great, that he was obliged to get into a boat, to avoid the pressure of such a crowd. Upon one such occasion a great tempest sprang up, and the boat was covered with the waves. The disciples who were in the boat were very much alarmed and called out to Jesus who was quietly sleeping, "Lord, save us, we perish." But Jesus said to them, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm." “But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?"

Faith in the power of Jesus to heal the sick, had

E

become so great in that part of the country, that when the friends of a poor man sick of the palsy, brought him in his bed, in hopes of being able to bring him to Jesus, and found that the crowd of his followers was too great to give any chance of passing through them, they carried him to the roof of a house, and let him down, with his bed, into the midst before Jesus. "When he saw their faith, he said unto him, man, thy sins are forgiven thee." When the Scribes and Pharisees, who were amongst the crowd, heard this, they said, "Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God alone?" Jesus answered them, " Whether is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thy house." "And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God." "And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying-We have seen strange things to day."

Soon after this, Jesus saw a publican called Levi

(afterwards Matthew) whom he knew to be a good man, sitting at the place where the taxes were received; he called to him to follow him. Levi not only followed him immediately, but made him a feast, at which there was a large company of publi. cans and others. The scribes and pharisees murmured at this, and asked the disciples why they ate and drank with publicans and sinners. Jesus answered by saying, "They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I come not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." Whilst Jesus was yet speaking, one of the rulers of the synagogue, whose name was Jairus, came to him and worshipped him, saying "My daughter is even now dead, but come and lay thy hand upon her and she shall live." When Jesus came to the ruler's house, he found the people making a great noise and lamentation, and when he said to them, "Give place, the maid is not dead but sleepeth," they laughed him to scorn, but he put them all out, and taking the girl by the hand, said to her, "Damsel, I say unto thee, arise." She arose immediately and walked; "and they were astonished with a great astonishment."

It was when Jesus was eating at the house of one of the pharisees, that Mary Magdalene, a woman who was known to have led a wicked life, came in and stood at his feet weeping bitterly. She washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair then kissing them, she anointed them with some precious ointment which she had brought in a box of alabaster. When the Pharisee saw this, he thought to himself that Jesus could not be a prophet, or he would have known that the woman was a sinner, and would not have allowed her to come near him. But Jesus knew his thoughts and asked him the following question: He said, "There was a certain creditor had two debtors: the one owed him five hundred pence, and the other fifty: And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most." "Simon answered and said, I suppose he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, thou hast rightly judged." Then Jesus said to Simon, "Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest

: