rialism and lack of
spirituality. It seemed to be blasphemy and sacrilege of the most
glaring type. And His very soul felt nauseated and outraged by the
sight. His fingers twitched, and laying hold of a bundle of knotted
cords which had been used by some cattle-driver to urge forward his
herd, He rushed forward upon the horde of traffickers, whirling His
instrument of chastisement over the shoulders and backs of the
offenders, driving them out in a frantic rout, upsetting their benches
and paraphernalia, crying in a voice of authority, "Out, ye wretches!
This is the House of the Lord, and ye have made it a den of thieves."
The "Meek and lowly Nazarene" became an avenger of the prostitution of
the Temple.

The brokers, money-changers and merchants fled before His mighty
charge, leaving their scattered money over the floors of the Temple.
They dared not return, for Jesus had aroused the wrath of the people
against them, and a cry arose for the old practice of protecting the
sacred place against such invasion. But the traffickers sought out the
High-priests and complained bitterly of this annulment of their
"privileges" and "franchises," for which they had paid so highly. And
the High-priests, being compelled to refund the price paid for the
concessions, were much wrought up over the matter, and then and there
swore vengeance against the Master who had dared interfere with their
system of what the world now calls by the suggestive name of "graft."
And this vengeance and hatred waxed stronger each moment, and was to a
great extent the moving factor in the schemes and intrigues which two
years later resulted in the frightful scene on Calvary.

The succeeding months were filled with wanderings up and down the
land, spreading the work and making new converts and followers. Jesus
did not take the position of a great preacher at this time, but seemed
to be rather a teacher of the few whom He gathered around Him at each
point and place. He observed but few ceremonies, that of Baptism being
the principal one, and which, as we have shown, was an Essenic rite
having an occult and mystical significance. The students of the New
Testament may read between its leaves the history of the ministry of
Jesus at this time, noting the working of the leaven in the mass of
the Jewish mind.

About this time Jesus was sorely distressed at the terrible news which
reached Him regarding the fate of his cousin, John the Baptist, who
had been His F