cured! The Saviour is the well-spring of life. From him a stream is ever flowing for all who feel their need.

Verses 30, 31. "And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?"

Jesus well knew who was the sufferer, and what was her need, but He wished to bestow upon her a greater good than the cure of her disease. He would give her the comfort of hearing from His own lips that her modest faith was known to him, and He would strengthen it, and take away her fears by speaking with her, face to face, and bidding her go in peace of mind, and in health of body.

Verses 32-34. "And He looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And He said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

The poor father-what must he have felt when Jesus stopped upon his way? He had left his child at the point of death, and while the woman spoke, his daughter's spirit might be gone for ever; yet his faith was great, he said not a word, and the cure he saw, and the words of kindness which he heard might well fill him with hope. All his strength was needed, for even while this was going on,

Verse 35. "While He yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain (messengers) which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?"

Immediately, before he had time to despair, "Jesus, as soon as he heard the word that was spoken," said unto him, “Be not afraid, only believe," "and she shall be made whole." (Luke.)

Verse 38. "And He cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.” "And the minstrels * and the people making a noise.”

For the Jews lamented their dead with doleful music and mournful cries, beating their breasts and rending their garments. "He said unto them, Give place," "and when He was come in, He saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead."

LUKE viii. 51, 52. "And when He came into the house He suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. And all wept, and bewailed her: but He said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth."

"But

They could not believe him, for they saw her dead. when He had put them all out, He taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in" to the chamber where she lay. O what a sight was there. The only daughter-she who had been as a sunbeam in the house-lay dead.

LUKE viii. 54, 55. "And Jesus took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway."

Yes, the dead arose-the "little daughter was given back to her father's arms. The mother once more clasped her child.

* They who make music.

Their amazement was so great, that perhaps at first they scarcely knew the greatness of that sudden joy, for it is written, they were astonished with a great astonishment." She arose from the bed of death, "and walked." The spirit had come again, but Jesus knew how weak the body must be, "and He commanded that something should be given her to eat."

Tears, such as these parents had shed, have been flowing on from that time to this. Many a one since then has known their grief, but oh, not one has heard the voice which broke through the stillness of death, and said, "Maid, arise." Yet it is only delayed.

In every home where all weep and bewail the daughter who was their pride and their joy, the Saviour still entereth in, and even in the chamber of death, He saith to the father and the mother, "Be not afraid, only believe." Not yet will He call her spirit back. They must wait awhile; but on her tomb. Christ has written, "She is not dead, but sleepeth."

Prayer.

O blessed Jesus, when our homes are filled with mourning, visit us in thy pitying love. Say to our sinking hearts, "They for whom you grieve are not dead- they only sleep." Thou knowest our weakness. We cannot see thee; we hear not thy voice, but we feel and know, because we see, the awful change that death doth make, and unless thou art near, our faith must fail. Do thou enter with us into the chamber of death, and in that solemn hour, say unto us, "Be not afraid, only believe;" and give us, O our Saviour, give us power to believe, that we may calmly trust thy word for evermore. Amen.

XLVI.

MATTHEW IX. 18. MARK V. 22.

When Jesus had raised the daughter of Jairus from the bed of death, He commanded her parents "to tell no man what was done." Crowds had gone with him to the house, and had found there "the minstrels and the people making a noise," and those who wept and wailed greatly. Before the eyes of all He had entered in with three of his disciples, and had sent out of the house many who laughed him to scorn, because they knew that she was dead, while yet He said to them, "Give place, the maid is not dead but sleepeth." We may judge what must have been the feelings of the crowds outside when the mournful music, which had for a moment been hushed by the words of Jesus, was changed to a burst of joy. The maiden had arisen! Her parents, only, knew what had been done, for with the three disciples, Peter and James and John, they only had been suffered to enter the chamber where she lay. They only had heard the voice that called the spirit back; they only had seen the Saviour take their dead child by the hand as He bade her "rise," and they were commanded to be silent; but all knew that the daughter of Jairus was alive again,—

MATTHEW ix. 26—33. "And the fame thereof went abroad into all that land. And when Jesus departed thence, (from the house of Jairus) two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to him (He had tried their faith by allowing them to follow without taking any heed of them, or even seeming to hear them, but now,) He saith unto them, Believe ye

that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. As they went out, behold, they (not the blind men, but other people) brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake : and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.”

No, never before; but now the promised seed of the woman was come, and Satan's power gave way before him but still the Pharisees whispered their wicked whisper among the people, "He casteth out devils through the Prince of the devils." We have read the Saviour's answer to this before.* We have seen how he shewed them the impossibility, as well as the guilt and danger, of what they said. Now their words must be past over in silence, as a false and sinful slander which it is needless to answer again.

MARK VI. 1-3. "And Jesus went out from thence, and came into his own country; (to Nazareth) and his disciples follow him. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him."

We cannot be sure whether these were really the brothers and sisters of Jesus, or his first cousins, because among the

* Nos. XXV. and XXVI. Vol. II.