yesterday, to-day, and for ever. His heart is still as compassionate as when He was upon earth. His sym- pathy with sufferers is still as strong. Let ns bear this in mindy and take comfort in it. There is no friend or comforter who can be compared to Christ. In all onr days of darkness, which must needs be many, let us first turn for consolation to JeSus the Son of God. He will never fail us, never disappoint us, never refuse to take interest in our sorrows. He lives, who made the widow's heart sing for joy in the gate of Nain. He lives, to receive all labouring and heavy-laden ones, if they will only come to Him by faith. He lives, to heal the broken- hearted, and be a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother. And He lives to do greater things than these one day. He lives to come again to His people, that they may weep no more at all, and that all tears may be wiped from their eyes.
We learn, lastly, from these verses, the almighty power of our Lord Jesus Chmt. We can ask no proof of this more striking than the miracle which we are now con- sidering. He gives back life to a dead man with a few words. He speaks to a cold corpse, and at once it becomes a living person. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the heart, the lungs, the brain, the senses, again resume their work and discharge their duty. " Young man," He cried, " I say imto thee arise/* That voice was a voice mighty in operation. At once " he that was dead sat up and began to speak.*'
Let us see in this mighty miracle a pledge of that solemn event, the general resurrection. That same Jesus who here raised one dead person, shaU raise all mankind