CHRIST AT THE SEA OF TIBERIAS.

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shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then said He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side and be not faithless, but believing.'-JOHN XX.

TIBERIAS.

OFTER these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise showed He Himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of His disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But

when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore; but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered Him, No. And He said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore; and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord.'JOHN XXI.

H

AVING traced our Saviour's history from His cradle

to His cross, His tomb, and His ascension into heaven, we now turn to the account of the progress of the gospel, during the period of about thirty years after that event. The book called the Acts of the Apostles was written by Luke, who herein refers to his former

THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY GHOST. 299

treatise. The historian glances at a few topics in the conclusion of that gospel, and then goes on with the transactions of a few subsequent years. After having chosen Matthias as an apostle in the room of Judas, the disciples assembled altogether, it being the time of Pentecost, and about ten days after the ascension. And they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now, when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed, and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?'-Acts ii.

T

HE astonishment of these men of various countries

and tongues began to break out in doubts and

scorn; for some of them said, 'These men are full of new wine:'-a very poor and absurd account of the matter,.and not the less a miracle, had it been true, that strong drink, taken early, would impart to uneducated men a dozen or more languages in addition to their own. 'But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: for these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days (saith God), I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall

PETER HEALS THE LAME MAN.

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see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams and on my servants, and on my handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'-ACTS ii.

PETER HEALS THE LAME MAN.

OW Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth

hour. And a certain man, lame from his mother's

womb, was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, Look on us. And he `gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ