disciples, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”

In order to diffuse more extensively the glad tidings of salvation, Jesus sent his apostles, two and two, to preach the Gospel throughout the country, commanding them, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." In order to give authority to their preaching, he invested them with a portion of his own miraculous powers, which he directed them to exercise for the benefit of all who were afflicted, saying, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." He forbade them to encumber themselves with any worldly convenience, but recommended them to depend upon Providence for a supply and reward worthy their charitable labour. At the same time he warned them not to expect this reward from men; on the contrary, he shewed, from his own example, that preachers of the truth were certain to be persecuted by a blind and perverse generation. He declared

that they would find enemies even in their own families that they would be dragged before the public tribunals, falsely accused, and harassed by captious questions. Under such circumstances he commanded, "take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you." He informed them that those who received the Gospel should indeed be blessed, but that those who rejected it would, on the Day of Judgment, be in a worse condition than the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. He also assured them that they would be guarded by the Divine Providence whose tender mercy is over all his works, saying, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."

Finally, he assured them that the slightest kindness which might be shewn to them would be rewarded; "whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward."

Having thus sent forth his apostles, Jesus remained preaching and healing diseases in the country round Capernaum until they returned. In a short time they came back, and with no small joy acquainted him with the success of the mission. About this time Herod the Tetrarch, hearing of the fame of Jesus, supposed that he was John the Baptist raised from the dead, and was therefore greatly alarmed. Το avoid giving offence, our Lord removed to a desert place whither he was followed by vast multitudes, whom he instructed in the truths of the gospel. The day being far spent and victuals scarce, Jesus, unwilling to send the people away faint and fasting, made them sit down, and, having blessed his scanty provision of five barley loaves and a few small fishes, miraculously multiplied the food so as not only to supply the entire assembly, consisting of five thousand persons, but to leave fragments which filled twelve baskets. This stupendous miracle convinced the crowd that he was the promised Messiah, and they began to consult about making him a king by force. Jesus therefore, resolving to withdraw, ordered his disciples to cross the lake towards Bethsaida, whilst he remained to dismiss the people. He then went up to a mountain and spent a part of the night in prayer.