THE NOBLEMAN'S SON HEALED.

dying.

m

CERTAIN Jewish nobleman came to Jesus one day. He was in great trouble, for his son was very ill

The nobleman had heard of Jesus, and now came to Him thinking that perhaps He could save his son from death.

He besought Jesus that He would come down and heal his son. It was not nécessary for Jesus to go to the nobleman's house to do this. Just a word would suffice.

Jesus replied, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe."

The nobleman became very anxious, and implored Jesus, saying, "Sir, come down ere my child die."

Jesus said, "Go thy way, thy son liveth.' The nobleman believed Jesus, and found it was even as He had said. He went back to his house, and was met on the way by his servants, who greeted him with the glad tidings that his son lived, and that the fever had left him.

ASTERN houses are unlike ours. They

are usually built round a court-yard, and are somewhat like that in our picture. Sometimes the court-yard is covered over with a light roof.

In such a house as this, Jesus was

teaching one day,

when some

men арproached

Him, carry

ing on a

bed a man

ill-with the

palsy. They

could not

reach Jesus

because of

the crowd of people about the

LETTING DOWN THE SICK MAN.

door. So they carried the sick man up the outside staircase to the roof, and let him down in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, He forgave the poor sick man his sins, and healed him of his terrible disease,

THE SOWER.

ESUS sat by the side of the Sea of Galilee, and taught the people who were gathered there, by a parable. He told them about a sower that went out to sow. Some of the seed he scattered fell by the hard way-side, where the birds devoured it. Other fell on stony places, where it quickly sprung up, but when the sun rose it was scorched and withered away. Some fell among thorns, which grew around and choked it. So all this seed was barren and unfruitful. But a large portion of the seed fell into good ground, and brought forth much fruit.

What did Jesus mean by this parable? He meant by the different kinds of ground the different kinds of people that hear His word. Some are hard and careless, and do not receive it. Others hear gladly, but soon forget, and cease, to follow Jesus