tainly known. Here occurs John's testimony to Jesus in the Fourth Gospel, in consequence of which Jesus gains a few disciples, with whom He goes to the wedding at Cana, and then to Capernaum, which becomes the principal home of His public ministry.

2. The early ministry of Jesus, which is described in the Fourth Gospel alone, and lasted several monthsperhaps eight months. Jesus visits the Passover and expels the traders, holds the conversation with Nicodemus, and afterward labors long and successfully somewhere in Judea, until at length He makes and baptizes some disciples. John hears of this, and expresses his satisfaction. The Pharisees hear of it; and to prevent a premature excitement of their hostility, Jesus leaves Judea for Galilee. Meantime John is imprisoned—Josephus says at Macherus, which was a few miles east of the northern end of the Dead Sea, and of which the ruins have lately been for the first time fully described by the English traveller, Tristram, in his "Land of Moab." On our Lord's way to Galilee He stopped at Jacob's well, where occurred his conversation with the woman, which is a model of skill and felicity in the introduction of religion into ordinary conversation.

3. The great ministry in Galilee. This is described in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John touches it only at one point: The feeding of the five thousand. This probably lasted about eighteen months-that is, if the feast in John v. I was a Passover. Our Lord's headquarters were at Capernaum. During this time He made three journeys around Galilee, which Josephus says contained over two hundred cities and large villages. Our Lord's labors must have been far more extensive than we should imagine from the few specimens of His miracles and discourses that are expressly reported. This is shown by the general statements in Matthew iv. 23 and ix. 35,

which are in strong language. During this time He selected the twelve disciples, and gave the Sermon on the Mount as a sort of opening lecture in their theological training. Toward the close of this period He sent them out two by two to go before Him; and after their return continued His instructions throughout His ministry, slowly preparing them for their work. The first great group of parables belong to this period-found in Matthew xiii. and Mark iv.—and they treat of the Kingdom of God in its beginnings.

4. Excursions made by Jesus from Galilee occupying six months, and described by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We can see several reasons for His leaving Galilee at this period. Herod Antipas, the tetrarch, had taken up the notion that Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead, and would be uneasy about Him; and so Jesus keeps out of his dominion. The masses of the people were becoming fanatical, thinking that He must be the Messiah, and would gather armies and destroy the Romans. The Jewish rulers were ready to use all this against Him with the Roman authorities. Our Lord often had to withdraw from the excitement produced by His ministry, because the popular interest, which was more political than religious, threatened to precipitate a crisis and end His ministry before He had finished His work for the people and the instruction of the twelve. We may also notice that this was summer, and in every one of the four excursions Jesus went to a mountain region. Capernaum was far below the Mediterranean, with tropical products, and there was an obvious propriety in getting to the mountains. He first went across the lake; but the multitude followed Him, amounting to five thousand, and thus retirement had to be abandoned. The second excursion was to Tyre; but a Syrophenician mother found Him out. In the third

excursion He went northward through Sidon, and away north to Galilee and around into Decapolis, northeast of the lake. There again the multitude gathered, and He fed the four thousand. Then the fourth excursion was northeastward, to the neighborhood of Cesarea Philippi. He stayed here some time, giving much instruction to the twelve; and here occurred the Transfiguration, which was probably on some mountain of the Lebanon range.

[Mr. Moody-Make it Mount Hermon.]

5. The later ministry in Judea, and ministry in Perea. This occupied six months. It is described in Luke ix. 51 to xix. 27, and in John vii. to x. This is much better arranged in Clark's Harmony than in Robinson's. We have only to understand that events and discourses here given in Luke, similar to preceding ones in Galilee, were repetitions such as would be very natural in another part of the country. No one can properly understand the teachings of Jesus who has not had some experience as a public religious teacher himself—a fieldpreacher, a street-preacher. The mere professor, who never did any practical preaching, will constantly misjudge as to points of this kind. To this period belongs the second great group of parables, given only in Luke, and referring chiefly to the life of individuals.

6. The last week in Jerusalem, and the crucifixion. Our Lord has long kept away from the hostility of the Jewish authorities until His ministry should be ended. But now His hour is come, and He goes straight forward to the end. He seems to have spent every night at Bethany, and in the daytime to have taught in the courts of the Temple for several days. Here occurs the third great group of parables, which refer again to the Kingdom of God in its future prospects. Of course this period ends with the last day of our Lord's passion,

with the Lord's supper and farewell discourses, with Gethsemane and Calvary. It may with confidence be said that we have of late years found the true site of Calvary on the northern extension of the Temple hill. This view was adopted by Chinese Gordon, and is held by Principal Dawson, and by the Rev. Selah Merrill, of New England, recently United States Consul at Jerusalem. Very probably it is correct.

The concluding period of our Lord's life embraces His resurrection, His ten appearances during the forty days, and His ascension. More attention ought to be given in our religious thought and discourse to the resurrection of Christ as the central pillar of Christian evidence, and an important item of Christian doctrine. Books on this subject to be recommended, are: Milligan's "Lectures on the Resurrection of our Lord"; Westcott's "The Gospel of the Resurrection"; another work by the same writer, "Revelation of the Risen Lord," which treats of the ten appearances; Canon Liddon's "Easter Sermons" (two small volumes); and Candlish's "Life in a Risen Saviour," being lectures on the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians. These are all English works; all, or nearly all, are reprinted in this country, and they are not costly.

CHAPTER IX.

THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.

Address by the Rev. Dr. Broadus-Key-Note of the Book-The Hebrew Christians Tempted to Relapse into Judaism-Reasons for Perseverance in the New Faith-Jewish Arguments Reversed— The Son of God Superior to Angels, to Moses, and to the Levitical Priesthood-Dignity of the Messiah.

I WISH to speak of the Epistle to the Hebrews. My object is to come as near as I can to giving an off-hand specimen of the treatment of a Bible book as a whole. The Epistle was written before the destruction of Jerusalem, from Italy, to the Christian Hebrews. You know there has long been a dispute as to whether it was written by Paul or not. I shall not go into that, except to say that I think the strong probability is, it was written. by Paul. This Epistle is mentioned in the very earliest Christian writing in existence-the Epistles of Clement, in which it is repeatedly quoted. I don't think there would ever have been any doubt it was written by Paul, except for the fact that the Alexandrian critics, who were very particular about Greek, saw in it certain differences of style from the other of Paul's Epistles. But what if there are differences of style? That is exactly like Paul. I am inclined to think the most probable opinion is that which was advanced by Origen, the greatest of early scholars and critics, and which he derived from his teacher, Clement of Alexandria—that it was really a discourse which Paul delivered, and which was reported by some one else. Christ's discourses were reported. The discourses in the Book of Acts were re