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GALILEE AND ITS LAKE.

AFTER the division of Palestine by Joshua among the twelve tribes, it was divided by the Romans into four provinces or districts; namely, Galilee, Samaria, Judea Proper, and Peræa or the country beyond the Jordan. Galilee was the most northern; and its chief cities were Cana, Chorazin, Capernaum, Bethsaida, Tiberias, Bethlehem, and Nazareth. It was the chief division, being the most populous; containing, it is said, two hundred and four cities and towns, and the least of which some thousands of inhabitants. Most of the Lord's disciples were born there; and in this place our Saviour spent most of His time, but particularly in the vicinity of the sea of Galilee, upon whose waters He miraculously walked, and calmed its tempestuous waves. At that time it was a beautiful spot, and no one can wonder that our Saviour here found His second home. It is now, however, sadly altered. At the Dead Sea you expect to find solitude and gloom, but here the deep stillness has something awful: it is like thinking to enter into a garden, and finding nothing but a grave-yard: you are overcome by the change from such a busy, happy, crowded life as gathered along these deserted shores and upon these generally undisturbed waters in the Saviour's day. But that famous lake,

where the first Apostles fished for their daily support when the Lord as the last PROPHET called them to be fishers of men; where He who spake as never man spake, so often preached from the fishing-boat; where He raised the fainting, sinking Peter from the waters, and bid the storm hush, and crowded the net when for a long time they had caught nothing; and was so thronged with hearers that He had often to seek rest by putting out the ship into the sea: that Lake of Galilee has now not a boat upon its waters; not the splash of a single oar breaks the stillness which broods as a dove on its nest; not the speck of a sail catches the eye and brings back a trace of the life that has fled away. The woes that Jesus spoke against Chorazin and Bethsaida, which were then exulting in guilt, seem to utter themselves now, when not one stone remains upon another, of all which made those seaports rich and proud.

As one's foot presses the green sod of these lovely hills, it is solemn to think how often Jesus preached to the people from these cool retreats, or talked with His disciples, or meditated and prayed, alone. Hardly a sod, or flower, or weed, or stone, but He imprinted upon them some lesson of mercy or meekness, of faith or hope.

says,

As a poet

doves and all good animals correspond. They were very happy, and angels were their companions.

"But, after a while, the Children of Men began to forget the good Lord who made them, and gave them every blessing they enjoyed. At the same time that they forgot God, they forgot to love one another. The innocent lambs began to die in their bosoms, and evil beasts of prey to take their place. They hated, instead of loving one another. Then war, dreadful war, first appeared on the earth. Men not only hated, but sought to kill each other. Wicked spirits possessed them, soul and body. They were as if lost in a great wilderness, and about to be destroyed by the wild beasts that were in their hearts.

"It was then that the Lord came and saved them. He drove out the evil spirits and cruel beasts, and led the lost Children of Men out of this dark and fearful wilderness. It was Jesus Christ, of whom you read in the New Testament, the Lord of heaven and earth, who did this. When you are older, and can understand better, I will tell you more about the lost Children of Men, and the good Lord who saved them."

MEDITATE frequently upon Eternity and no accidents of this mortal life will give you much trouble.

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THE YOUNG STUDENT.-No. 2.

FROM the satisfaction experienced by the father of our young student on the former conversation, he was desirous of resuming his inquiry as to further progress; and somewhat to connect them together, he referred to the use of angles with respect to the measurement of the earth, which, as being a globe or circular figure, contains in its circumference 360 degrees. "But has your master informed you of the reason why the earth is subject to measurement?"

"Yes; because the earth is material or composed of matter; and that, consequently, every object that can engage our senses is matter, under different or various modes of arrangement: but that in a philosophical meaning, matter is explained to be an extended, solid, inactive, and moveable substance.”

66

Well," said the father, "this appears to be a very correct and comprehensive definition. But do you clearly understand these terms as applied to matter?"

VOL. III.

7

"The first term is that of extension; and by this is evidently meant, length, breadth, and thickness; and no material substance can be conceived of but must partake of these three, and this be it ever so small or ever so large. The solidity of matter is shewn by reason of its resistance to the touch. That it is inactive and yet moveable, is within the observation of every one; for all material things are without motion, and yet by a proper power or force there is no bulk that cannot be moved.

"While explaining this subject to us, our kind master told us something very strange about what he called the divisibility of matter, and which he said could be continued without end. This appeared the more remarkable from what he had said before, that whatever was without bounds or limit must be infinite; and therefore it was difficult for me to conceive how matter, being an extended substance, and necessarily limited, could be infinitely divided. But he told us that it could be proved; and as I for one had always endeavoured to pay great respect and attention to his judgment and explanation, I felt very anxious to have it further explained."

"I am happy to find this to be your state of mind, and I hope that age accompanied with experience will always command your respect; but yet, though you are young and compara

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