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Mount Hermon. It is very many times higher than Mounts Tabor and Carmel,' and is quite as beautiful, but in a different sort of way. These, as I have told you, are green and beautiful, abounding with flowers and trees to the very top; but the top of Hermon has been covered from the time of the creation with snow and ice, and is called "the majestic Hermon with its icy crown." was called also "the mountain of snow." the beautiful bright sunlight of that country, brighter far than we have any idea of in this, for the skies blaze like gold, this snow and ice glitter in the sun's rays like diamonds of all colours.

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But now we will go down from this hill, where so much may be seen, into Nazareth again. It is a solemn thing to think that our SAVIOUR stood on this very hill, and looked on all these scenes, knowing all that had happened and all that would happen there! It is a strange and a solemn thought, that we may now go and walk-such of us as have the power to travel-in the very paths where He was when a child, in the selfsame places, beautiful and solemn places, where, as He grew older, He would walk and meditate on what He had come into the world to do for us. Perhaps His Mother, the Blessed

1 Mount Carmel is 1700 feet above the level of the sea, Mount Hermon is 10,000 feet in height.

Virgin Mary, often walking with Him, and even then, before the world knew Him, "pondering His sayings in her heart." There is a fountain there, near which most travellers raise their tent and rest; and they think, and they cannot but think, that often our SAVIOUR might have drunk water from this same spring which is such a refreshment to them.

There is a great deal more of pleasant information which I could tell you about Nazareth; but there is something more that I must tell, not so agreeable.

You have read how our SAVIOUR chose to be born of very humble parents, in the very humblest place, and in the vicinity of one of the smallest and lowest places of Judah. And you know He spent His youth in Nazareth, and " was subject to His parents" there.

Now Nazareth was not only an humble, but a low, bad place, and had a vile character. Perhaps some of you may remember that that most good and charitable man, Nathanael, said, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" This was because Nazareth had such an evil character; for indeed it was a bad place. A good deal cut off from others, and from the busy world, it was what is called a frontier town, facing in three different directions: one towards Samaria, to the south, a region notorious for iniquity and frequent revolts; on the south-west toward the land

of the Philistines; and on the west, towards the maritime city Acre.

The inhabitants of the sea coast of Samaria were notoriously wicked; the Philistines we know were heathens; and Nazareth was so situated, that it offered the nearest and safest refuge when quarrels and war were raging, to either party, and was resorted to by both. It became a den of profligates. Yet in Nazareth the SAVIOUR crucified on earth, the King and GOD of Heaven, vouchsafed to dwell, at once, as it were, living among sinners, those He came to call to repentance.

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PALM SUNDAY.

Ride on! ride on in majesty!
Hark! all the tribes Hosanna cry.
Thine humble beast pursues his road
With palms and scattered garments strowed.
"Ride on! ride on in majesty!

In lowly pomp ride on to die!

O CHRIST, Thy triumphs now begin
O'er captive death and conquered sin!"

THOUGH I have told you that every Sunday throughout the year is a festival day, our Church has endeavoured that even on this day, during Lent, we should bear in mind the duties and purposes of the holy season. In this we can hardly fail, if we read carefully the services appointed for these days. The Epistles chiefly treat of the duties of self-denial and humility: and because even these virtues will not avail us without active charity and kindness, the Gospels are so chosen as to show us how our SAVIOUR suf

fered temptation, fasted, prayed, and then went about seeking opportunities of doing good to others; healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and blessing His enemies.

The fourth Sunday in Lent is called Midlent Sunday, and formerly, Dominica Refectionis, the Sunday of Refreshment; perhaps because the Gospel for the day relates the miracle of feeding the five thousand persons with the five barley loaves and two fishes. So this name, "day of refreshment," gradually led to a custom which once extended all over England, of making a particularly good cake to be eaten on that day. In the northern countries these were, and are, large and round and flat- -some as large as my small round table; and are stuffed full of plums and spices and good things, and are called Symnel cakes, as the Sunday is called Symnel Sunday.

In Gloucestershire and about that part of England, the day is called Mothering Sunday, and the cakes Mothering cakes; but they are of a very different sort from those in the North.

In

many country places the habit is still maintained of having some unusual dainty on this day.

The fifth Sunday in Lent was called Passion Sunday, because then, in the Services of the Church, our LORD's Passion or suf

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