Peter's brother (John i. 40). Spiritual treasures are not like those of the world; they increase by distribution. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. There is an abundance for every one that will receive. We have found the Messias. Imagine the joy of St. Peter when he heard this. If Jesus speaks but one word, we feel great comfort; but he that findeth Jesus, findeth a good thing, yea, all that is good. And he brought his brother unto Jesus. This was a true brotherly deed. This is truly to find our Lord; if we truly burn with the love of Jesus, we have a true care for our brother's salvation.

II. And Jesus said, Thou art Simon; thou shalt be called Cephas (John i. 42). That is, a rock or stone. It is not enough to find Jesus by faith, or by a sensible sweetness in our devotions. Faith is the groundwork, spiritual consolations are helps to build up more courageously upon the principles of faith. We must incorporate into ourselves his precepts and instructions; and as St. Paul says, Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, his conversation and manner of living. Therefore, so soon as Jesus was found, he gave fresh names to many of his disciples, and of different meanings to those they bore before. St. Peter's name might at first have well signified simple obedience; but now it speaks of fortitude and solidity-always aiming at the greater glory of God, and the exaltation of his holy name. For if Christ speak the word, he can make no less a change in the name than in the things; no less in us than in St. Peter.

III. And Nathanael said, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? (John i. 46). Consider the goodness of our divine Saviour, in seeking after thee, when thou thinkest not of him. Follow then his holy inspirations; and endeavour by word and example to encourage others. Be not rash in judging others; nor self-sufficient of thyself, as if thou didst understand more than others. Take time, and consider whether another may not have more reason than thou; and be not contentious. Despise no man's country, or descent, or occupation, for Almighty God is pleased to make saints in every place and country, and in each condition of life.

IV. Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile (John i. 47). I saw thee under the fig-tree. O all-seeing eye, thou understandest my thoughts long before. O wondrous knowledge, it is folly in me to attempt to hide, or conceal, or dissemble anything from thee. Give me grace then to serve thee in true simplicity of heart, in the sight of men and angels, without guile or deceit. For thou wilt lay judgment to the line, and righteousness to the plummet. Thou wilt make lies come

Listen to

to nought, for upon falsehood shall no man prosper. the promise, Ye shall see angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man. They ascend and descend upon the same Man; admiring the majesty of his person, and wondering at the infirmity of human nature; in both stooping to do him service, and obeying his command, which they consider their highest honour. Adore our blessed Lord as God, and as King of the universe, who hath command of life and death, and who putteth down the mighty from their seats, and hath exalted the humble and meek.

CHRIST TURNETH THE WATER INTO WINE.

I. And the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee (John ii. 1). He went to the marriage in order that, as he had long before of his sovereign power ordained holy matrimony, he might now by his presence sanctify it. But St. Chrysostom suggests another line of thought-If you please, let us contemplate two houses; one of those who are marrying, another of those who are mourning. Let us enter them one after the other, and see which of the two is the better. And they wanted wine. This is what we may be sure of in all the follies of the world-they cannot last. How soon do such comforts fail! How soon do they produce discomfort and distress, even whilst in the enjoyment of them. And so much the greater, because they usually trench upon that which is a continual feast-a merry heart.

II. Jesus saith unto her, Mine hour is not yet come (John ii. 4). It is evident from his mother's immediate reply, and confident command, that our blessed Lord's answer was no censure. He would only express that it was a matter belonging neither to him nor to her, to supply such temporal wants, or rather superfluities. Not to him, for he came to supply spiritual necessities; not to her, because she was present as a guest. He had not intended to manifest himself on that occasion; but at her suggestion, which was very modest, only mentioning the want, she felt that it was his pleasure to condescend to follow it; and therefore his mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

III. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water (John ii. 7). Our blessed Lord made use of the vessels already at hand. He caused them to be filled up to the brim; and that, on the moment, that men might not say something was mixed with the water, which needed time to make the change. The same divine Word instantly changed the water into wine, which in the beginning said, Let there be light, and there was

light. We should consider who it is who changes water into wine, and hath all things at his command; in order that none should fail to feel wholly dependent upon him. Many things helped to effect this change, the petition of the blessed Virgin, the obedience of the servants, and especially the greater glory of God, which our blessed Lord only sought; for all things work together for good to them that love God, and these are the means by which the waters of affliction are turned into the waters of comfort. Thou hast kept the good wine until now. The joys of the world begin with deficiency and want, falling short of our expectation, and they end with greater disappointment. How many blessings do we receive of God, and know not of them? Chiefly, perhaps, because we seldom reflect upon them. If we once had tasted the wine which our blessed Lord gives us, we should esteem all other vile and tasteless. His wine lasts for eternity. If it were wonderful, says an ancient Father, to turn water into wine, much more marvellous is it to turn sinners into saints; and that things which to the world are insipid and cold and dead, should be restored to life and heat and flavour. The apostles believed on him for that one sign; we, having received so many blessings, shall not we believe?

APPLICATION OF THE FORMER MEDITATIONS TO THE BLESSED

SACRAMENT.

I. The ancient fathers were wont, with much devotion, to beg, in the words of the prophet, that the heavens might drop down from above, and the skies pour down rightousnesss, that the earth might open and bring forth salvation. But here the heavens are always opened for us to behold the beloved Son, who sits at the right hand of his Father, in whom he is wellpleased; and who comes down to us in the holy sacrifice, in no less humble and meek a manner, than when he came to be baptized of St. John the Baptist. Oh, that we had the eyes of that holy man to see his inward perfections, and worth, and glory. How should we then cover our faces with the seraphim, and say, Comest thou to me, the eternal Son of God, the creator and Lord of all things? Thou, the beloved of angels, the Father of fair love, and fear, and knowledge, and holy hope, doest thou vouchsafe to come to me, the most miserable of creatures? I have great reason, not only to suffer it to be so now, but with all the desire of my soul and body to long after it, and to labour to fulfil all righteousness, that I may not be altogether unworthy of so great a blessing. But thou, O infinite goodness, infinite mercy, infinite compassion and love, I have not words to express

what I think, nor thoughts equal to thy worth; come, notwithstanding, sweet Jesus, and be a Saviour unto me.

II. O bread of life, it is not natural food that can sustain me for eternity; nor all that the world can give, though I should be master of all the kingdoms of the world. Thou alone art the bread which came down from heaven, which must sustain us in eternity. I that am made of earth can hardly think of ought but earth and earthly things. But he that cometh from above is above all, and what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth, and to that he invites us. Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Thy bread is thyself, Lord Jesus, which is able to content every man's delight, and agrees to every taste. Thy wine is thy sacred blood, which thou hast wonderfully mingled in the chalice under the eucharistic form of wine, that as it is most comfortable to our souls, it should not be distasteful to our bodies. This bread will never fail us, as did Saul's in his journey. We shall never want for this wine, as they did at the marriage-feast; but the more we use it, the more there will be to use, both in its fruits and effects. Fill then your eyes with tears of sorrow and love, and pour out your heart to him; for even these he will turn to your eternal comfort, and will fulfil them again, up to the brim, with his heavenly gifts and graces.

III. Come and see often where he dwells, how poorly he is content to be lodged for thy sake. Look into the churches, where he is to be found, and upon the altar where he is present; all that is there, God knoweth, is not devotion; all is not reverence and respect; all is not cleanliness and decency of heart; and yet he does not avoid them. Look again into the souls of the communicants, and chiefly into thy own, even when he is received into the inward chamers; how are they swept, how are they garnished and furnished? And yet, he hath patience with thee. O blessed master, I am thy servant; O grant me understanding, that I may live.

O. S.

PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS IN THE ANCIENT SYRIAN

CHURCH.

THE object of this paper is simply to illustrate the character of philosophical inquiries among the Syrian Christians at a particular period. For this purpose we shall give a few extracts printed in the Journal of the German Oriental Society, by Prof. Lic. A. Pohlmann, who recently visited Rome, and found in the

library of the Propaganda a MS. which he describes and quotes from. The book was copied early in the seventeenth century, by one of the Maronites, from an ancient document. It was known to Assemani, but his account of it is unsatisfactory. At its commencement there is a general statement of the questions discussed, and this preliminary portion we shall translate. will be seen that the topics are numerous, and therefore indicative of the range which was taken by speculative and inquiring minds when the work was composed. If it should be thought that some of the matters proposed for discussion are neither obscure nor important, it must be remembered that real science made but slow progress in the world until a recent period. At any rate, we may ascertain from these questions, that men's minds were occupied on problems twelve hundred years ago, which are even now not all settled.

The original author of this curious work appears to have been at one time bishop of Edessa, a place famous on many accounts in the history of the world, of learning, and of the church. Its foundation was ascribed to an antiquity so venerable, that Ephrem Syrus and others believed it to be the Erech of Genesis x. 10, and the Ur of the patriarch Abraham. Its proper name was Urhoi; the Greeks called it Orrhoena or Callirrhöe, and the Arabs term it Raha and Orfah. There lived king Abgar, the first royal convert to Christianity in apostolic times. There was the first church erected, and there most probably was the first version of the New Testament executed in the Syriac language, which was there spoken in its purest form. At Edessa, learning and literature flourished in ancient times. The Christian school of that city produced some eminent men, as the philosophic Bardesanes, the hymn-writer Harmonius, the great Ephræm, etc. This school was suppressed by Zeno in the year 489, and its honours were transferred to Nisibis.

For many centuries, the intellectual activity of the Syrian Christians and their Persian neighbours was very great. Not only did they produce many valuable original works, but translated most of the best Greek and some of the Latin fathers. Eventually they translated portions of the Greek classics, and. it is said, the whole of Aristotle. From the Syriac versions of the last named author, the tradition is, that the Arabic translations were mainly derived. Some of these works still survive, and precious relics of them, by Serguis of Rhesaina and others, are now in the British Museum.

When the Saracen power prevailed, the decline of the church at Edessa began, but it continued still to have its bishops for a long period. One of them, Elijah Bar Shinoia, figures as an author