and evidently wo.s taking great pains, not felt as such, now to get help for him, as much as though he had been a son or a brother. If, THE OORREOT AND HIGHLY ENLIGHTENED ESTlllATE THAT BE BAD ALREADY EVIDENTLY FIRMLY PLANTED WITBIN HIM OF THE CHARACTER AND THE JUST DIGNITY OJ'. CHRIST. Whence, it may naturally be asked, did this come? 1. From the fact that he used aright his reason, upon bis observation; i.e. upon the induction of things seen and beard by him, of Chlist. Of how many things higher and deeper than those of which the apostle first used the question may not the Harne words be used, "Doth not even nature teach you?" And in what harmony with this do we find the argu- ment of St. Paul in Rom. i., when he says, llllIDming it up, "So that they are without excuse" I 2, How well it may be believed that the centurion was among the instances of those illuminated by that Spilit who was always omnipresent, and who BS at this time worked often where least supposed I We are reminded of the illustration used by our Lord himself preceding the sentence, "So is every one that is born of the Spirit." III. THE GENUmE HUMILITY WBI0H PENETRATED HIM. 1. He genuinely pleads deep sense of his own unworthiness as the reason why he did not come in person to Jesus. 2. He with every witness of genuineness pleads the same as the ground of deprecating Jesus coming in person to him. It would appear from the account of St. Luke that the -centurion in the first instance aid ask Jesus" to come and heal his servant." But second thoughts, and the awe of the imminent advent of the great Sovereign of bodies and souls changed his prayer, took away the !BSt remnant of mere human boldness, and superseded it by diviner humility. IV. THE FAITH, 60 SIMPLY CONSTRUCTED .AND BO PERFECT, FROM THE FIRST AND IN ALL DETAIL, OF THE CENTURION. This was the "marvel" for Christ. It is "great" faith; it is "so great faith;" it is greater faith than the greatest Jesus had as yet "found-in Israel" even, and this not in Israel I In conclusion, dwell on all the sweet, condescending grace of Jesus. "I will come and heal him;" "and he went with them;" "he marvelled at him;" and he praised his faith "to the people that followed him;" and "they who were sent returning to the house found the servant whole." What a parable in drama of the great grace of Jesus Christ 1-B. Vers, 14-17 (see also Mark i. 29-31; Luke iv. 3e-40).-Theinstinctof beneficcnct.. In introduction, note the place given to the ~ccurrence of this mire.cle in the two parallel places, these two defining with acr,uracy what is left unalluded to by SL Ml\tthew. Also oomment on ver. 17, comparing it with St. Peter's quotation, and noting St. Matthew's language as not that of the Septuagint. Reject all the lesser exegeses of the wonderful characterization of the Redeemer here given ; such as fatigue of body through the late and prolonged work; exhaustion of soul through the feariul strain confessed by us all, of high and deep spiritual engagement; and even such as the adumbration in all this of the achievement of the cross, and all the endurance it postulated; but point out how the personality of Jesus Christ now, and all through hie public life, was the unfailing and the all-gathering focus, in one way and another way and all ways, of the sufferings, and the diseases, and the evil, and the infinite sorrow of that man, one grand essential condition of the saving of whom was, that his Saviour be "One touched," really, absolutely, tenderly, keenly touched, "with the feeling of his infirmities." This verse (seventeenth) npresses "the travail of his soul." Notice- I. THE EXOEEDING PROMPTNESS WITH WHICH THIS MIRACLE WAS WROUGHT. Observe on the variety of the miracles of Christ, in this one respect by itself. Sometimes delay was the rule, and in such cases, sometimes with an evident reason and use, but some- times not so. The occasions when we can see the rel\Son or a reason will teach us how there were reasons in the other cases, though perhaps untraceable by us. On the other hand, many miracles were marked by very quick action, as with the impotent man and the blind beggar, etc., but nowhere perhaps more than in this case. JI, THE OUTWARD BIGNB .ACCOMPANYING TIIE WORKING OF THE MIRACLE. "He touched her hand;" "he rebuked the fever;" "he took her by the baud;" "he lifted her up." In these facts stated, which may be very far from being rightly called in every sense outward signs, two leading points may be observed-the "reln1,ke " to 344 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MA.TTHEW. [oH. vm. 1-34-.
the oppressor, the assistance to the oppressed, significant and genuine suggestions to our Christian work, aud to our conflict in Christ's Name with human woe, and with those foret'S of evil which stir it and fix it and only so reluctantly loose their grasp. Nor are the for-ms of help barren of suggestion. He stood over her; he saw her; he touched her hand, took her by the band, lifted her up. The very gradation in the assistance proffering us lessons, or reminding us of what we have not failed already to observe and reason upon. Ill. THE GRATEFUL AND DEVOUT AND PRACTICAL RESPONSE ON THE PAUT OF THE llUFFERER, NO LONGER THE PREY OF HER FEVER, TO HER DELIVERER. Picture the splendid contrast. The prostrate with fever immediatel,y transformed into the ootive nnd thoughtful servant, and the minister both to her Lord and his attendants and friends. Enlarge on this as the consummate type of Christian conduct and character after genuine conversion. For this is followed by devout and unfeigned consecration of service to Christ and his Church. Conclude with noticing the harvest of that night, after the close of the sabbath. 1. The ingathering of what untold blessings to the people I 2. The toil and travail (in the sense of ver. 17) that harvest meant for Jesus Christ.-B.