fonnd in the simple soldier, CleM)Y faith is not always in proportion to opportunity and advantages. How woak the faith of many who have been all their lives Ion" in th<' e1IjoynH"nt of the me~ns of grace I 3. Christ responds to sti-ong failh by a ;;ord of pn1oer. Ilad he continued to pre~s himself upon the centurion's attention and ll\lusdj()ltl, it might have ll'd the humble believer to suspect the power of Jesus to snve at a distance. In other words, if J e~us had advanced, it might have hurt the centurion's faith, instead o~ ministering to him any additional sense of sympathy, llence he spoke, and the disease or t~e servant departed instantly, ~ow, this miracle is designed to sl,ow the beauty of Christian sympathy, the power of intercession, and the tender grace of the Raviour as be responds to the appeals of his servants. Let us take a similar interest in those who serve us, or are in anywise related to us; let us brino their case before the Lord, and he will help them for our sake, and for his own Name'~ sake too! 1 II. 'l'aE SAVIOUR oF THE DEAD. (Vers.11-17.) We next turn to the raising of the tmdow's son aJ, Nain (vers. 11-17). And here let us notice: 1. The terrible sorrow tchich prese11ted it.~eif to Jesus. (Ver. 12.) It was the death of a widow's only son, She stood before Jesus in all her loneliness-more lonely through the proximity of the crowd. Now, it is to a social Sadour she has come, One who lay in the bosom of the Father, a member of the "social Trinity," who enjoyed fellowship from all eternity. Hence her case diJ not appeal to him in vain. He does not need any int<m;ession. His ~ympathetic heart takes up the case. Hence we have: 2. The consolutory word our ::i,wiour spo~. " Weep not I" Sometimes, as Gerok has remarked, this word is 6lhlken in a well-meant, yet unchristian sense, by many children of the world, as if we.-ping and mourning ought to be put away as out of place; in other cases, the word is spoken with a good Christian intention, but without much human tenderness; but Jesus shows us here when it ought to be spoken. 3 He wants the widow not to weep, for he can put all her sorrow away. Truly it is he who can wipe away the tears from off all faces (Rev. vii. 17). If we have such consolation to offer, well may we say," Weep not." But if we only repeat the words, without offering any consolation, they are not likely to be of much avail. It is a striking contrR:!t, our Lord's conduct on this occasion, and on the occasion of Lazarns's resurrection, where he wept himself, instead of commanding others not to weep (John xi. 35). 3. The mighty word which 'backed up hui cunsolaJ,ion. (Ver. 14-.) This was, "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise!" He doCB so as the Prince of life. The result is that he that was dead first sat up, and then began to speak. Life was thus restored to him, and intercourse with others followed. Jesus thus demonstrated that he was "the Resurrection and the Life," 4. Tl,e restoration of the young man to his mother. (Ver. 15.) The purpose of the resurrection was the restoration of those relationships which death had so rudely severed. The bereaved mother is enabled to rejoice in her son again, and to see her home-circle restored. The great truth of recognition and restoration through resur- rection is thus set before us. 8 5. The effect of the miracle upon the people. (Vere. 16, 17.) They feared, because the miracle demonstrated that God was awfully near, Yet the fear inspired them to glorify God for the advent of such a Prophet, and the gracious visitation which he brought. They felt that the miracle was eminently wo1 thy of God. An eminent scientific man, who doubts revealed religion, yet accepts spiritualism, ba.s said, "Few, if any, reputed miracles are at all worthy of a God."• But in face of such a tender and touching work of grace as this at Nain, no such declaration could be made hy an impartial mind. It was worthy of God, and tended to his glory. 6. Consider, lustly, the type and promise it affords of what Christ will do in the world at last. For, as a poet has suggested, this earth is the " bier whereon our race is laid," and to it will Christ at last come, and, arresting the long procession of the desd., will say, "Arise I" when lo I a race shall wake from clay, "young, deatLless, freed from every stain,• And the" Weep notl" shall also be heard then, for
1 Of. Gerok'8 • Evangelien-Predigten,' •· 793, ,eq. 1 Ct: Gerok'8 'AUB Ernster Zeit,' 8. 564. • CC. Dr. Ma.cmillan'a 'Our Lord's Three Baisinge from the Dead,' (Ip, 75-1:19; Gerok'1 • Evn.ngelie11-Predigt,·n,' 8, 710. • A. R. W&llace, • Ou Miruclea and Modem Spiritualit,m,' JI· H. on. vn. 1-60.] TITE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 197