physicians as incurable. (2 Kings v. 7.) Yet Jesus says, " be thou clean, and immediately the leprosy was cleansed." — To heal a person of the palsy without even seeing him, by only speaking a word, is to do that which our minds cannot even conceive. Yet Jesus commands, and at once it is done. — To give a woman, prostrate with a fever, not merely relief, but strength to do work in an instant, would bafifle the skill of all the physicians on earth. Yet Jesus " touched" Peter's wife's mother, and " she arose, and ministered unto them." — These are the doings of one that is Almighty. There is no escape from the conclusion. This was " the finger of God." (Exod. viii. 19.)
Behold here a broad foundation for the faith of a Christian ! We are told in the Gospel to come to Jesus, to believe on Jesus, to live the life of faith in Jesus. We are encouraged to lean on Him, to cast all our care on Him, to repose all the weight of our souls on Him. We may do so without fear. He can bear all. He is a strong rock. He is Almighty. It was a fine sapng of an old saint, ''my faith can sleep sound on no other pillow than Christ's omnipotence." He can give life to the dead. He can give power to the weak. He can " increase strength to them that have no might." Let us trust him, and not be afraid. The world is full of snares. Our hearts are weak. But with Jesus nothing is im- possible.
Let us learn, for another thing, the mercifulness and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ. The circumstances of the three cases we are now considering were all different. He heard the leper's pitiful cry, '' Lord, if thou wilt,
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tliou canst make me clean." — He was told of tlio cen- turion's servant, but He never saw him. — He saw Peter's wife's mother, " laid and sick of a fever ;" and we are not told that she spoke a word. — Yet in each case the heart of the Lord Jesus was one and the same. In each case He was quick to show mercy, and ready to heal. Each poor sufferer was tenderly j^itied, and each effec- tually relieved.
Behold here another strong foundation for our faith ! Our great High Priest is very gracious. He can be " touched with the feeling of our infirmities." He is never tired of doing us good. He knows that we are a weak and feeble people, in the midst of a weary and troublous world. He is as ready to bear with us, and help us, as He was 1800 years ago. It is as true of Him now as it was then, ^^He despiseth not any." (Job xxxvi. 5.) No heart can feel for us so much as the heart of Christ.
Let us learn, in the last place, tvJiat a precious thing is the grace offaitli. We know little about the centurion described in these verses. His name, his nation, his past history, are all hidden from us. But one thing we know, and that is, that he believed. " Lord," he says, ^' I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." He believed, let us remember, when Scribes and Pharisees were unbelievers. He believed, though a Gentile born, when Israel was blinded. And our Lord pronounced upon him the commendation, which has been read all over the world from that time to this, ''' I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."
Let us lay firm hold on this lesson. It deserves to be