The story seems to be in this wise. Our Lord began teaching in the Synagogues and working wonders in the way of healing. After doing both, for the first time in Capharnaum He went into Simon's house and cured his mother-in-law. The next day the multitude wanted to hear Him and He went into Simon's boat and preached to them from the sea. He told them to cast the nets (and they said it was useless as they had caught nothing all night) and so great was the draught that they called their neighbours to help them. Peter fell down adoring and calling himself a sinful man. Peter and Andrew and their assistants James and John, sons of Zebedee, were called by Him to follow Him and they immediately left all things and did so.

There were several calls of the Apostles, some were called to prepare and then to follow; but the final one was answered by their leaving all things.

It is well to remember that the religion of Jesus Christ was founded and is propagated by the living or speaking word and not by writing or printing. This distinction is very important.

Ist. Our Lord wrote nothing. 2nd. He did not order anything to be written.

3rd. The writing of the Gospels seemed an afterthought -though intended.

Faith comes by hearing. Those who think they can get faith by reading, studying and arguing are very much mistaken.

1Teaching in their Synagogues.—It is supposed that the Jews did not build synagogues until after the Captivity in Babylon. At the time of Our Lord every village had its synagogue and some had several. There people assembled on the Sabbaths and festival days to join in prayer and hear the word explained to them by one of the priests, Levites or Scribes. Anyone proficient in the law or the prophets might take the chair. When Our Lord began, His extraordinary wisdom and wonder-working power would cause the chair of every synagogue He entered to be instantly vacated for Him.

Gospel of the Kingdom.-Preparing them by explaining the prophets for faith in himself and his new kingdom.

3 His fame went.-No wonder when He cured everyone who was brought to Him. The enumeration of the various ailments which He cured, shows that He was guided a good deal by natural tenderness and pity to cure those who were chronically afflicted, possessed, epileptic, paralysed, and so forth.

It is supposed that, at this period, He went about accompanied by only four disciples. He had not yet called the twelve. Vast multitudes assembled from all the towns within a radius of thirty miles or so, and when they had their sick relations healed, listened to words which they carried home with them and spoke of to others. Thus did He prepare them for His more formal and set teaching.

Titus the Old Sacrifices failed.
Churches should be-
Ist. Built with an air of upper and lower Galilee, very
religion.

3rd. Treated with marks of osity. veneration.

"Domine dilexi decorem domus tuae et locum habitationis gloriae tuae." Ps. xxv. 8.

CHAPTER V.

'Went up into a mountain.-S. Luke gives us to understand that Our Lord spoke in the plain. Writers on the subject are agreed that S. Matthew omits a good deal. The opinion most prevalent is that Our Lord had just chosen His twelve disciples, that He confirmed their vocation

on the mountain, near Capharnaum, called now of the Beatitudes, and then came to the slope of the hill. He gave the disciples His commission seated, but it is generally supposed that He stood during the sermon.

The drift of the Beatitudes is that what were supposed to be a source of misery and dreaded as such heretofore, are now shown to be sources of happiness-even in this life-and certainly in the next. Every man desires happiness, sin is caused by seeking it in the wrong object. The first thing in moral teaching is the proposing the end.

2Blessed are the poor in spirit.-Nothing was dreaded by the Jews so much as poverty. Avarice was their leading sin, and is still. The poor in spirit may be the really poor who are content-the rich detached from their possessions- those who vow and practice voluntary poverty. Covetousness being removed they are happy here, and an earnest is given them of hereafter.

3 Blessed are the meek.-This beatitude is sometimes transposed with the next. Those who bear the harsh dealings of others patiently and silently, as in 2 Cor., xi. 20. These shall possess a land far better and larger than was taken from them.

*Blessed are they that mourn.-Mourning is literally for our relations and friends who have died, especially if they have died before the time allotted by nature. There is another mourning of zeal for the spiritual death of others. Those who act thus shall be comforted where tears shall be no more.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst.-Some say that this beatitude is for those who suffer real want, others that it is for those who long for a holy life and are prevented by circumstances, or who strive for it with the cravings of natural hunger, but seem never to reach it. They shall have their fill.

"Blessed are the merciful.—“Judgment without mercy,” etc., James ii. 13. It was never heard that God punished anyone for being merciful. Superiors ought to think that they may need mercy themselves when they are severe on subjects.

"Blessed are the clean of heart.—Some say this cleanness means freedom from sins of impurity. Others say it means guileless simplicity and others freedom from guilt of any kind. All the beatified see God, but the pure in a special way, so that the first opinion seems the most probable.

Blessed are the peacemakers.-Because they spread charity and mend it when it is broken.

Blessed are they that suffer.-The circle, the octave is complete, and we reach the same note as it were, “theirs is the kingdom of heaven."