encouraged and commanded by him (if fully intending to keep God's commandments) to pass through the waters of Jordan into the Holy Land, as their fathers had done at first, and claim from God all the blessings and promises given to their forefathers. If so, what memories and traditions would fill the minds of St. John's disciples as they cast off their sins, renewed their covenant with God, and solemnly crossed over into the Holy Land once more, as their forefathers had crossed under Joshua !

St. John remained on the farther or wilderness side "beyond Jordan." Who would be their second Joshua to lead them on their journey or fight beyond the passage? One cannot be surprised that after the announcement of St. John his disciples one by one turned their eager eyes from him to Jesus, and seemed almost to forget the Baptist in their expectancy and wonder of all that might grow out of the following of this greater Leader-this newer movement and further fellowship.

For a time, during the whole of St. John's ministry, the residences of the little group of Master and disciples remained practically unchanged; but when John was cast into prison (Matt. iv. 12), the necessity for greater nearness and communion between the disciples and our Lord became increasingly urgent, and so we find our Lord and His mother and the brethren of Jesus leaving their home at Nazareth and coming up to Capernaum, where they would be nearer to their relations, James and John and to their friends, Peter and Andrew.1

Here they evidently took a house, for henceforth Capernaum is known as our Lord's own city. About the same time-perhaps it was because of this-Peter and Andrew, who had as we know been living at Bathsaida, left their old home and took a house for

Matt. iv. 13, ix. 1; Mark ii. 1.

themselves at Capernaum. It must have been a large one, for James and John had rooms with them, while Peter was married, and we are told that his wife and his wife's mother lived with him. Whether it was in this house or His own that Christ healed the bedridden man who was sick of the palsy we cannot tell, but we can gather a good deal of information respecting such a house as that of Peter from the account of the miracle, and from the descriptions of similar old residences in the East. It appears to have been built-like many of our very old inns, colleges, or larger houses-in a quadrangular or four-sided form, containing therefore a court or open space in the centre. At that time staircases inside a house were quite unknown, but there were steps or stairways on the outside, leading to the flat roof of the house, and on the inside of the courtyard another shorter set of steps leading to a lightly covered gallery or verandah which went all round the inside of the building, and communicated with the rooms of the upper storey.

It is supposed to have been from this gallery or from the top of the steps leading up to it that our Lord taught the people who thronged the "quad," or courtyard, to hear Him, and so when they not only filled this space, but the gateway out into the road or street, it was impossible for a visitor to find immediate entrance. In the case of the sick man mentioned by St. Mark (Mark ii. 3), the only course for his friends to pursue was to carry him up the outside stairway to the roof of the house, to break up the light covering of the verandah and then lower him down to the gallery where Jesus was standing.

Shall we for a moment stop and try to imagine one of these evening teachings? The news goes round the city that Jesus is at home, "and straightway many are

gathered together in so much that there is no room to receive them-no, not so much as about the door, and Christ preaches the Word unto them" (Mark ii. 2). One sees our Blessed Lord standing at the top of the little steps facing the entrance of the house; around Him are grouped the four chief disciples, James and John and Peter and Andrew, and His brethren, James the Less, Jude, and Simon. Behind Him is, perhaps, the open door of the guest-room, and within, the Virgin Mother pondering the scene and all its meaning in her heart. Before Him, stretching out as far as He can see, are the upturned faces of the people, not only filling the courtyard, but standing in the doorway directly facing Him, while over all is the roofing of the starlit heavens. There is hardly any twilight so far south the summer sun sets quickly, and as the darkness gathers one can imagine James and John holding some kind of torch on either side, illuminating the face of Jesus, so that those in the distance can better see His face and understand what He is saying. The crowd is hushed and expectant; many are tired after the hard day's work, but not too tired to stand and look into the face of Jesus-that face touched with the feelings of our infirmities, yet shining with the Divine consciousness of power to heal them-and every ear is open to receive the message as with hands outstretched the gracious words fall from the Master's lips

"Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

It is about this Capernaum life that most is known.

We are told that Capernaum was a Roman settlement with a castellated fort on a promontory overlooking the lake of Galilee. It was the centre of Roman government and taxation in Galilee, and possessed a garrison with centurions and other officers.

Civil representatives of the Roman power were stationed there, and its position at the junction of four great roads from Arabia, Egypt, Tyre, and Damascus made it an important centre of travel and commerce. The town was a large one, and by its wealth and the richness of its buildings must have held a very distinguished place in the adjacent country. Our Lord Himself spoke of it as "exalted to heaven"; and although this may have had mainly a spiritual significance, it is not improbable that the height and magnificence of the architecture displayed in many of its public buildings may have suggested the exaltation to which our Lord referred.

At the time of the Roman occupation it had become a notable city, and of the somewhat extensive ruins that still are supposed to mark the ancient site it is interesting to note that the most important appear to be the remains of a synagogue dating from the Roman period. The building was of white marble, with finely-carved Corinthian columns, and upon the stones which entered into its formation sculptured representations have been found of the seven-branched candlestick, the paschal lamb, and the pot of manna. There can be no reasonable doubt that this was the synagogue built at his own charges by the Roman centurion and governor. was evidently a man of very great wealth as well as of great influence. He was accustomed to say to one man, "Go," and he went, and to his servant, "Do this," and he did it; and in all probability his own palace was of marble, standing in spacious and well-cultivated grounds.

He

This, and the barracks or forts where his soldiers lived, and the central synagogue, which he had given to the people among whom he dwelt, would doubtless dominate the city; and as one looked at the blue waters of the Lake of Galilee washing the marble steps which led to the governor's house, flanked, perhaps, on either side by castellated forts of strength and beauty, the white stone gleaming in the brilliant tropic sunshine, and then looked farther at the grove of palm-trees surrounding the residency, and then still farther at the rising ground where the marble synagogue stood in all its clear-cut beauty of outline and of sculpture, the rows of Corinthian columns forming a delicate tracery against the deep blue background of the Eastern sky, one cannot be surprised that our Lord recognised its beauty, that He acknowledged its greatness and exaltation, and was profoundly moved as He foresaw its destruction.

Some may think perhaps that the picture I have drawn is somewhat fanciful and highly coloured, yet it rests on very fair foundation. In any country possessing a.

beautiful inland sea the banks of the lake would be naturally unusually fertile. The mountain streams running into the lake would provide an abundance of pure water, and the loveliness of the surroundings could not fail to attract the wealthier inhabitants of the country as well as the foreign rulers, both of whom would naturally build their houses at the margin of the lake. The word Gennesareth is said to mean "Gardens of Princes," and Capernaum appears to be one of the most famous of these gardens.

The governor, centurion, or captain of the guard, quartered in Capernaum, and in the service of Herod Antipas, became, as we know, a friend and disciple of Jesus-a kind man who not only loved the Jews among whom he lived, but loved and took care of