the success of which it is alone necessary that her father should believe, and that she should thereby be made whole; and how marvellously must the case of the woman strengthen the root of all Christian virtue, already planted in his mind! How greatly must the faith of Jairus have grown, since he joined the company, who slowly following Jesus, are drinking salvation from the pure fountain of love!—and again let us observe what amenity there is in our Lord's address to the woman. Can we doubt the nature of that virtue, which went out of Jesus?—if so, let us consider its fruits; he addresses her “ daughter," thus she is born again, she is a child of God, a child of adoption, adopted into that great family of which Jesus is the head,-" be of good comfort." There is no good comfort but that obtained of Jesus for the believer; but Jesus himself hath testified that she is a believer; in these words, thy faith hath made the whole: " and then he dismisses her with the heavenly benediction, "Go in peace; "" -never did words contain greater significancy in so short a compass. While Jesus yet speaks, there came one from

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the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "thy daughter is dead; trouble not the master." But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, "Fear not, believe only and she shall be made whole; "-no occurrence will be permitted to frustrate the designs of heavenly mercy to the faithful; it is as easy to God to restore life, as to restore health; the tidings that the one only daughter of the ruler was dead, no more takes her out of the hands of the great physician, than the fact that she lay a dying; the death of the maiden, although it may add to the renown of the miracles, requires for its performance no addition of power. "And when Jesus came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and mother of the maiden; and all wept and bewailed her, but he said, Weep not, she is not dead, but sleepeth; and they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead." And whom did they laugh to scorn? Him who when he had " put them all out, took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise; and her spirit came again, and she arose straightway,

and he commanded to give her food; " him they laughed to scorn, whose sovereignty extended beyond this material world, to the world of spirits. Him they laughed to scorn, at whose command the soul of the maiden which had been separated, is again embodied, and once more presides over all the functions of life.

XV.

MATT. IV. MARK II.

THE Lord Jesus is unceasingly engaged in preaching salvation to all men. He is engaged in explaining the nature of the kingdom of heaven, and in performing supernatural acts of beneficence, which are seals to the truth of his doctrine, such as no one who relies on the testimony of his senses can call in question. These miracles are performed independently of second causes, without premeditation, and in the view of all men,-not only friends but enemies. Our Lord is now attended by twelve unlettered men of good understanding and character; by believers who are permitted to follow him for their own benefit-as Mary Magdalene, and others who have been delivered by him from the dominion of evil spirits; and by women of wealth and station, who are in so far honoured as to be

allowed to minister to him of their substance,as Joanna the widow of Chuza, the steward of Herod's court, Susanna, and many others. Our Lord is also attended by men who cavil at his doctrines, deny the reality of his miracles, and are employed as spies upon his conduct, by the leaders of the Jews. Many of the followers of the Lord Jesus are in Capernaum, where he is now sojourning, having probably been induced to come hither by the convenience of the situation on the borders of Zabulon and Naphtali ; and moreover, he has the boats of his disciples, to convey him to the towns and villages on the opposite shores of the lake of Gennesaret. Thus he is enabled to extend his ministry over a large district of country.

Our Lord dwells not with the noble or the rich; not with those who by ascendant power or wealth are enabled to win the opinions of men, for any cause which they may espouse; he lodges with one of his lowly disciples, Simon, the fisher—a man of upright principles and affectionate disposition. We are now approaching the abode of Simon.