On seeing our Lord enter his boat, Simon immediately returned to it, and, at our Lord's request, pushed it a little farther from the shore, though not so far but that the people could hear distinctly His holy word.

When He had finished His discourse, He desired Simon to launch out into the deep water, and to let down his net to catch fish; but Simon said, 'Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net.'

With these words he cast the net into the sea, and after waiting the usual time, attempted to draw it out again, but it was so heavy with the quantity of fishes which had now been caught, that in trying to do so, it broke with the weight, and he was obliged to beckon to his companions in the other boat to come and help him.

With their assistance, he succeeded in drawing out the net, and they began to fill both the boats with the fish they had caught. But now they got into still more trouble; for the number was so great that the boats began to sink, and they were afraid for their lives.

Simon had probably thought, like many others, that our Savior was merely a great teacher sent from God, and no more; but he now perceived by this miracle that he could be no less a person than the Savior who was expected, and

he immediately fell down on his knees at our Lord's feet, saying, 'Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, 0 Lord.'

But little did he know the love and mercy of that Savior whom he thus besought to depart from him. He perhaps was afraid that Christ was come to take vengeance on him for his past sins, and therefore he entreated him to depart; or perhaps it was from a feeling of his unworthiness to remain in the presence of one so holy.

It would be well for us, if we felt our unworthiness as Simon did; for we are all sinners, and we should humble ourselves before God. But we need not be so alarmed at the remembrance of them as he was; for we know the Lord to be full of mercy and loving-kindness, ever ready to forgive all who come to Him.

Our Savior, however, knowing that it was Simon's ignorance which had caused his request, did not depart from him, as he had foolishly prayed Him to do, but said to him, "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men ;' meaning that he was now to leave off his trade of a fisherman, and to be employed in teaching the Christian religion to mankind.

Accordingly, when he and his companions had brought their boats to land, they forsook all they had, and, trusting

to Christ to provide for them, which they knew he was able to do, having just witnessed his power in the miracle of the fishes, they followed Him, and continued ever after his faithful disciples.

They were also among the number of those twelve disciples whom our Savior peculiarly favored above the rest, and who were called Apostles. This word comes from the Greek, and means persons sent on a special duty, as these twelve apostles were commissioned by our Savior to preach his Gospel in different parts of the world.

All these holy men, as well as Simon, who henceforth took the name of Peter, left their worldly business, and forsook their former ways of life to follow the Lord.

You, my dear children, are not, as I before told you, put to such a trial; but do not suppose that you have nothing to forsake for your Savior's sake. You must forsake your sins before you can be a follower of the Holy Jesus; you must leave off your bad tempers, your naughty habits, and your disobedience, if you wish to be a true disciple of His.

THE POOL OF BETHESDA.

OUR Lord went, as was his custom, to celebrate the Passover at Jerusalem.

Now, you must know, that near the sheep-market in Jerusalem, there was a pool, called in the Hebrew language Bethesda, or the house of mercy; and it was so called from the many deeds of mercy which it pleased God to perform there.

For at particular times, the waters of this pool were troubled by an angel from heaven, and whoever first stepped in after the moving of the waters, was cured of whatever complaint he had. The Jews had built several large porches round it for the convenience of the poor sick people who came there in great numbers at the time this troubling of the waters was expected. The ruins of three of these porches remain till this day.

During the time of our Savior's visit to Jerusalem, the season arrived for the moving of the waters, and as he was one day passing by Bethesda, He found the porches filled with sick people; some lame, some blind, some deformed,