of blood dried up;" and she felt, by the return of her health and strength, and other agreeable sensations that accompany such sudden changes from painful diseases to perfect health, that the cure was absolutely complete.

But this transaction could not be concealed: the blessed Jesus knew the whole, and her secret thoughts before she put them in practice; and pleased with the opinion this woman had entertained both of his power and goodness, would not by any means suffer it to pass unapplauded.

Accordingly, he turned himself about, and asked, "Who touched me?" He well knew the person; but asked this question for the fuller manifestations of the woman's faith, and that he might have an opportunity of instructing and comforting her.

His disciples being ignorant of what had passed, were surprised at the question: "Thou seest," said they to their Master, "the multitude thronging and pressing thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?" They did not distinguish between the spiritual and corporeal touch, nor know that such efficacious virtue had gone out of their Master.

Jesus, however, persisted in knowing who it was that had done the thing; and the woman finding it in vain to conceal her action any longer, came to him trembling, and told him all. Perhaps the uncleanness of her distemper was the reason of her fear, thinking he would be offended even at her touching the hem of his garment.

But the Divine Physician, far from being angry, spake to her in the kindest manner, commending her faith, on which account he had consented to heal her plague,-" Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made the whole."

Such a miraculous incident must doubtless have greatly strengthened the ruler's faith; for behold a virtue, little inferior to that of raising the dead, issues from the border of his garment, and heals a disease which for the space of twelve years had baffled all the precepts of the healing art, and defied the power of medicine.

Indeed, the faith of this ruler had need of the strongest confirmation, for news was brought him that his daughter

was even now dead, and therefore it was needless for him to give any further trouble to Jesus, not in the least suspecting that he had power to recall the departed spirit, and reanimate a breathless carcass.

This message was a terrible blow to the affectionate parent. His only daughter, who, a few days before, was in the bloom of youth, was now a pale and lifeless corpse; and with her all his joys and comforts were fled.

But Jesus, commiserating his grief, desired him to be comforted, promising that his daughter should be restored.

On his coming to the ruler's house, he found it full of mourners, who made terrible lamentations; a sufficient demonstration that the damsel was really dead; and accordingly when our blessed Saviour desired the mourners to cease their funeral ceremonies, as "the maid was not dead, but sleeping," they "laughed him to scorn."

Having thus briefly addressed the mourners, he entered the chamber where the damsel was lying, but suffered none to follow him, except Peter, James and John, together with the father and mother of the damsel.

Probably his reason for suffering these only to be spectators of so stupendous a work was, that they might have an opportunity of examining the whole transaction in the most careful manner, and be thence enabled afterward to report it, upon the fullest conviction, and with every circumstance of credibility.

The blessed Jesus now approached the body, took her by the hand, and with a gentle voice, said, "Maid arise."

The heavenly command was instantly obeyed; the damsel arose, as from a sleep, and with all the appearance of health and vigor; for Jesus commanded to give her something to eat; a plain proof that she did not appear in the weak and languishing condition of a person worn out with disease, or even like one who had fainted away; a circumstance that abundantly proves the greatness and perfection of the

miracle.

It is, therefore, no wonder that her parents should be astonished at so stupendous a work, the fame of which was

presently spread through all the neighboring country; though Jesus, who was in every sense above praise, and therefore never courted it, had strictly charged them to tell no man what he had done.

These instances of power did the blessed Jesus display to convince the world that those who die in him are not dead; and that he has the keys of life and death.

Those also, of the present age, who believe that the soul sleeps with the body till the resurrection, would do well to consider the expression of the evangelist, "Her spirit came again," which sufficiently shows that the soul exists separately when the body is laid in the chambers of the grave.

Having performed this benevolent miracle, our blessed Saviour left the ruler's house, and was followed through the streets by two blind men, imploring assistance; nor did they implore in vain. The Redeemer of mankind was, and is, always ready to grant the petitions of those who apply to him for relief. Accordingly, he no sooner entered into the house, to avoid the thronging of the multitude, than he touched their eyes, and said, "According to your faith, be it unto you;" and immediately the valuable gift of sight was bestowed on them.

The men who had thus miraculously received their sight, being departed, the multitude brought to him "a dumb man possessed with a devil."

So moving a sight could not fail of attracting a compassionate regard from the Saviour of the world, who, being never weary of well-doing, immediately cast out the apostate spirit; on which the dumb man recovered his speech, and spoke in a very rational manner to the multitude, who with one voice declared that such wondrous works were never wrought by any of the old prophets.

"It was never so seen in Israel.”

These works did not remove the prejudice of the Pharisees, who being unable to deny the miracle, insinuated that he did it by a power received from Beelzebub, "the prince of the devils," a poor pretense indeed, which did not escape the animadversion of the Saviour of the world.

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But all their calumnies did not provoke the meek and merciful Jesus, to cease from performing these compassionate offices for the children of men.

On the contrary, he exerted himself still more and more to promote the prosperity and salvation of the whole human

race.

Accordingly, he left Capernaum, and traveled through the country in search of miserable objects on whom he might confer happiness and peace; "visiting all the cities and vil lages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people."

In his return from this tour to Capernaum, he was at tended by a great number of people, who expressed a more than common desire to hear the doctrines of the gospel-an incident abundantly sufficient to engage the attention of this divine Teacher, who was always careful to cultivate the latent seeds of virtue, and cherish the least appearance of piety and religion.

The inhabitants of Judea were truly in a deplorable condition, which called loudly for the compassion of the Son of God, who always regarded the descendants of Jacob with the most tender affection.

He saw the sheep of Israel scattered on the barren wastes of error and superstition, without a shepherd to lead them to the heavenly pastures of the law and the prophets.

He saw: he commiserated their distress, and he resolved. to provide some remedy for it. Accordingly, he directed his apostles to intercede with the Almighty, who, by his servants, the prophets, had sown the seeds of piety and virtue, in the minds of the Jews, that he would not suffer the rich harvest to be lost for the want of laborers. "The harvest," said the blessed Jesus to his disciples, "truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest."

To these gracious acts he added the most powerful of all intercessions to the throne of grace, his own prevailing prayer; and accordingly ascended to the top of a mountain,

and there spent the night in making the most powerful petitions in behalf of "the lost sheep of Israel," to his heavenly Father.

Having spent the night in this pious exercise, he lost no time in putting his beneficent intentions into execution; for no sooner had darkness withdrawn her sable veil, and the blushing rays of the morning adorned the chambers of the east, than this benevolent Redeemer of mankind called his disciples to him, and chose twelve, "whom he named apostles, to be always with him, and that he might send them forth to preach."

He ordered them to be constantly with him, that they might learn from his own mouth the doctrines they were to preach to the whole world, that they might see his glory, the transcendent glory of the virtues which adorned his human life, and that they might be witnesses of all the wondrous works he should perform during his residence in this vale of misery, and by which his mission from the court of heaven was to be fully demonstrated.

Having ordained them to their respective offices, he sent them out by two and two, into the most distant parts of Judea, to preach there the glad tidings of the Gospel, and prepare the way for their Master, the great Shepherd of Israel. And that nothing might be wanting to render their preaching acceptable to the people, and confirm the important doctrines they delivered, he invested them with full power to cure all diseases, cast out devils, and even to raise the dead.

After this appointment of the twelve apostles, he came down from the mountain, and was joyfully received by multitudes of people, who were waiting for him in the plain, and pressed to touch him; well knowing if they could only touch the border of his garment they should be healed of whatever distemper they were afflicted with; a sufficient reason why they were continually waiting for him, and were willing to accompany him even into the remotest corners of the wilderness.