him helpless. In the state called diabolical possession the demon is like the pilot of a ship-he is master of the captain and the crew. He uses the body and the entire outward activity of his victim as if they were his own, although he is not able to master the will otherwise than by placing it in a state of insensibility or lunacy. He is to the soul what a clot of blood in the brain is to the sensible man-insanity or the coma of apoplexy: and then he himself acts instead of the human will and understanding. The man possessed is thus like a devil in human shape. Furthermore, the evil one generally affects the bodily state of his victim, causing various sorts of fits, deafness or loss of speech, or self-lacerations. Hence in the Gospel we read of demoniacs being cured. It must also be borne in mind that a demoniac is not always. responsible—the demon does not possess the impossible power of compelling sin.

PETER'S WIFE'S MOTHER IS CURED. And immediately going out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. And Simon's wife's mother lay in a fit of a fever: and forthwith they tell him of her. And coming to her he lifted her up, taking her by the hand: and standing over her he commanded the fever, and im

mediately the fever left her, and she min

Yet we must believe that God would rarely allow any person to be thus afflicted unless he had already voluntarily subjected himself by his vices to the enemy's yoke. Jesus, who had come to deliver men from all slavery of sin, gladly delivered demoniacs from their horrible torment, nor is any miracle oftener repeated than that which is first recorded as occurring in the synagogue of Capharnaum.

istered unto them. And when it was evening after sunset, they brought to him all that were ill and that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were troubled with divers diseases; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaias the prophet, saying: He took our infirmities and bore our diseases. And devils went out of many, crying out, and saying: Thou art the Son of God. And rebuking them, he suffered them not to speak, for they knew that he was Christ.

When Jesus passed out of the synagogue He was in such honor that He might have taken His midday meal with some distinguished family, but He was true to His first though humblest friends.

nor

He went home with Simon-Peter. He found, no doubt, a hearty welcome, but also a saddened household, for Simon's wife's mother lay ill of a fever, perhaps caused by the malaria mentioned by Josephus as arising from the swamps to the north of the Lake of Genesareth. Simon and others must have begged their holy Guest to relieve the sick woman, would Jesus refuse to His near friends a favor freely granted to strangers. He took her by the hand, standing over her, looking upon her, instilling into her soul that loving confidence in His power which would merit the favor her friends had prayed for: "He commanded the fever; and immediately the fever left her, and she arose and ministered unto them." And thus in unrestrained enjoyment of the Saviour's gentle company and conversation some happy hours were spent. But the entire town and its neighborhood waited impatiently the setting of the sun and the end of the Sabbath stillness, that they might hurry to Him with all their sick friends, including a large number of demoniacs. He healed them all. He drove out the devils, commanding them to cease their cry, "Thou art the Son of God!" lest they should precipitate an uncontrol

lable religious agitation.

Far into the night He healed diseases and expelled demons and spoke many

words of heavenly healing for men's

souls, and then retired to sleep: but at dawn of day, when they sought Him again, He had secretly departed. It was as if He wished to give the people of Capharnaum time to think.

"And they brought to Him all that were ill."

H

To applaud His miracles, to say 'He is a great rabbi," this was good enough to begin with; but it would take time and thought and prayer and counsel to accept Him heartily as the Messias. Therefore, "rising very early, going out He went into a desert place, and there He prayed." His mission demanded solitude; He must pray as well as preach and work miracles. To the people He willingly gave the day-time; they could not refuse Him the night hours for prayer. But a whole multitude went after Him, Simon in the lead. "And Simon and they that were with him followed after Him, and when they found Him they said to Him: All seek for Thee. And the multitudes besought Him and they stayed Him, that He would not depart from them." Then He began a kind of missionary invasion of the land, leading great numbers about through the country and holding vast meetings in the open air, and more select assemblages in the synagogues. 'And He saith to them: Let us go into the neighboring towns and cities, that I may preach there also the Kingdom of God, for to this purpose am I come. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and every infirmity among the people." So it was that He performed His work, spending the early hours of morning in some lonely spot absorbed in prayer, lovingly communing alone with the Father. From this He would be drawn by the Apostles, and often by a great throng of men and women. The busy hours passed quickly away in speaking to His well-loved people about God's way of salvation, sometimes forced to discuss a miserable scruple with the Pharisees, stopping to eat

a frugal meal with His followers, ministered to by the devout sisterhood which never left Him; again teaching and journeying, always working astounding miracles, until long after dark He managed again to get a few hours of very necessary sleep.

No wonder that St. Matthew relates: "And His fame went throughout all Syria, and they presented to Him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and such as were possessed by devils; and lunatics, and those that had the palsy, and He healed them. And much people followed Him from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan."

At this time Galilee was a populous province, with over two hundred cities and towns, a vast field for our Saviour's zeal. His first excursions were through the northern part of the province, beginning with Bethsaida, a town lying to the northeast of Capharnaum, and the native place of Philip, Simon, and Andrew. It was, as is indicated by its name, the house of fish, a fishermen's village on the lake shore. Later on the Tetrarch Philip built a city near by, and called it Julias after the daughter of Augustus, but this new city was placed on the east side of the Jordan. At this populous centre Jesus found abundant material for His zeal. He poured out His heart's treasures upon Bethsaida

and its vicinity, and we shall find Him condemning it bitterly, with its neighbor Chorazin, for its indifference to His teaching. The Gospel says that the Master preached in many cities hereabouts, passing hurriedly from one to another like a man with good news, hardly waiting to see the effect of His preaching. Everywhere He worked so many miracles that St. Matthew, true to his Hebrew tendency to note the fulfilment of the ancient prophets, quotes from Isaias (ix. 1): "The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthalim, the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people that sat in darkness saw great light, and to them that sat in the region of the shadow of death light is sprung up.” ·

THE SHIP OF PETER.

And it came to pass that, when the multitudes pressed upon him, to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Genesareth.

And he saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And going up

into one of the ships, that was Simon's, he

desired him to thrust out a little from the land. And, sitting down, he taught the multitudes out of the ship. Now when he had ceased to speak, he said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering, said to him: Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing but at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had done this they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net was breaking. And they beckoned to their partners that were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were almost sinking. Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so were also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And

CHAPTER XVII.

TEACHING FROM PETER'S BARQUE.
-THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT
OF FISHES.

Luke v. I-II.

THE unruly eagerness of the crowd was ever a cause of annoyance to the disciples of Jesus, though to Himself it was simply an occasion for the practice of loving patience, and in one instance, as in the case of the woman cured of an issue of blood, of miracles. It was used by Him, on an occasion which we have now to relate, to distinguish Peter from the rest of the chosen band.

Jesus saith to Simon: Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt be taking men. And when they had brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed him.

To be close at hand when He spoke, actually to