ZACCHEUS IN THE SYCAMORE TREE.

ERE again our Lord thought proper to surprise those who thronged around Him, by His condescension to a man who was emphatically a sinner in the estimation of the Jews. Yet nothing worse is recorded of Zaccheus than this, that he was a wealthy publican, or tax-gatherer,-an office peculiarly disagreeable to this proud and vanquished nation. His giving half his goods to feed the hungry, and his perfect integrity in his business, wrought no favour for him with those who destroyed widows' houses, and despised Jesus Himself and His disciples for being poor. And, behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who He was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him: for He was to pass that way.

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And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for to-day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That He was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him four-fold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.'-LUKE xix.

UR Lord's lamentation and grief, on the behalf of

that favoured spot, the land of His nativity, broke

forth on two occasions in language the most touching and impressive that lips could utter. After having, with the utmost vehemence of rebuke, arraigned and condemned the chiefs of the Jewish people for their crimes, and sentenced them to their reward of retribution, in the twenty-third chapter of St. Matthew, He addresses Jerusalem in the accents of anguish as well as condemnation : 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.' Again, when riding towards the city, a short time before the period of His own sufferings, without its walls, He wept over it, saying, If

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thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.' Then follow the predictions of the fall and desolation of this unhappy city, whose unparalleled sufferings and ruin occurred in a few short years from the time of our Saviour's prophecy.-LUKE xix.

WE

E now take a few incidents in our Saviour's history from the Evangelist John, omitting those that have been already noticed. 'There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there. And both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said unto Him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants,

Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six water-pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water-pots 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. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants which drew the water knew), the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.'JOHN ii.