ed Thee, Abba, Father;
I have stayed my heart on Thee:
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather,
All must work for good to me.

Man may trouble and distress me,
'Twill but drive me to Thy breast;
Life with trials hard may press me,
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
O 'tis not in grief to harm me,
While Thy love is left to me;
O 'twere not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.
--_Henry Francis Lyte_.

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AM I A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight, if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord;
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy word.

Thy saints, in all this glorious war,
Shall conquer, though they die;
They view the triumph from afar,
And seize it with their eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thine armies shine
In robes of victory through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.
--_Isaac Watts_.

{59}{60}

[Illustration]
NAZARETH.

The village of Nazareth itself lies in a basin, but from the hills
all about it the most extended view can be obtained. The scenes of
many of the most thrilling episodes in the history of Israel are in
sight. In Jesus' time it was near the great caravan roads, and the
center of a busy civilization.

"It was not as a rustic preaching to rustics that our Lord went
about. He went forth in a part of the Roman empire full of Roman
civilization, busy and populous."--_Walter Besant_
[End illustration]

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How the Lord Jesus Began to Win the Love of Many People.

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PERSONS OF THE STORY.

_The LORD JESUS_.
_John the Baptist_.
_The Disciples of Jesus_.
_Mary, the Mother of Jesus_.
_Nicodemus, a great teacher at Jerusalem_.
_A woman of Samaria_.
_A king's officer_.
_The Evil One_.
_Pharisees, Sadducees_.
_Soldiers, a wedding party, money changers, priests, Samaritans_.

PLACES OF THE STORY.

_The Jordan River. The Wild