disciples, when they asked him where he would have them prepare the passover, that they should find, in a particular place which he pointed out to them, a large upper room furnished, in the original, spread, Mark xiv. 15. Luke xxii. 12. that is, spread with carpets or couches. Peter seems to have required from Æneas something like what his wife's mother, when cured of a fever, performed for Jesus, for "she arose and ministered unto him*."

35.

And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron that had turned to the Lord saw him.

In this manner this verse ought to be rendered. The writer asserts that all the Christians of these two places, being probably assembled together to hear Peter preach, were witnesses of the miraculous cure of Æneas. The common version asserts that all the inhabitants of Lydda and Saron saw him, and became Christians; a change which is very unlikely, considering the prejudices of the Jews; the more especially, as the latter of these two places was not a town, but a district; and is by no means countenanced by the words of the original. Luke now proceeds to give an account of another remarkable miracle, that was performed at the same time.

36. Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, (which by interpretation is called Dorcas): this woman was full of good works and alms-deeds which she did.

37. And it came to pass in those days that she was sick and died: whom

For the above illustration of this passage we are indebted to Mr. Harmer in his Observations on Scripture. Vol. ii. p. 66,

Note.

when they had washed they laid her in an upper chamber.

38. And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay, rather, "that he would not think it much, to come to them.

They grounded their request to Peter to come and raise her from the dead, upon the excellent character of Dorcas, and hoped that he would not think much of going so far, to restore to life so useful a person. The sooner this was done the more desirable, no doubt, it would be, both to herself and to her friends. But it does not appear that the words of the messengers refer to any dispatch with which he was desired to come, but merely to the reluctance which he might be supposed to feel, to confer so great a favour upon an ordinary person.

39. Then Peter arose and went with them when he was come they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him, weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, rather, was making," while she was with them.

Being herself, probably, a widow, she employed herself in making clothes for the poor, and what were shown to Peter were the things which she was making when she fell sick and died. In Eastern countries it

* Pearce and Wakefield.

was usual, and the custom still continues, when a person dies, for the friends and neighbours to assemble in the room where the dead body lay, and to utter loud cries and lamentations. This is considered as an honour to the deceased*. And this was the purpose for which these women were assembled. As they might be noisy and troublesome, Peter thought it prudent, as Jesus had done in a like case, to put them all forth.

40. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down and prayed, begging God, no doubt, to exert his power, and, turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

41. And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints," the Christians," and widows, presented her alive.

He congratulated them, no doubt, on the joyful event which had taken place, and upon the recovery of their friend. The circumstances of this resurrection are highly favourable to the supposition that the mind dies with the body, and is restored to life with it. For the mind of Dorcas remained with her body many hours after death, and would probably have remained with the corpse till the general resurrection, had she not, in the mean time, been raised to life by Peter. So remarkable a miracle was well calculated to make a strong impression upon the minds of all who heard of it, and to convince them of the divine mission of those that preached the gospel. Accordingly we find that it had that effect.

42.

And it was known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

REFLECTIONS.

1. The benevolent exertions of Dorcas, in making clothes for the poor, may teach us an useful method of exercising our charity. Such donations discover greater benevolence of heart, and are frequently more valuable to the poor, than presents of money. What is bestowed in this last way is often given without thought, and spent without economy. But the other gifts are not so easily misapplied. Requiring sometimes labour and exertion, they discover more of a benevolent spirit than pecuniary assistance, which may be afforded without any trouble. The hands of Dorcas were more honourably employed in making necessary articles of dress for the poor, than in adorning her own person; and so will the hands of all those of her sex who imitate her example; nor let them be displeased to hear that much time, now wasted and lost, might be applied to advantage in this way.

2. We learn, also, how acceptable such alms-deeds and other good works are to God, as well as to man. They procured for this excellent woman and benevo lent Christian the esteem of her acquaintance and the gratitude of the poor. But they did something more; they procured for her the great honour and singular advantage of being raised from the dead; which was a clear proof of the approbation and favour of God. I call it an honour to be thus restored to life, because only a few were thus distinguished, and those eminent, probably, like Lazarus, for the excellence of their characters and an advantage, because it afforded

fresh opportunities of doing good to others, of improving her own religious character, and hereby of greatly increasing her future reward. To one who knew so well how to employ her time, a restoration to life was a valuable blessing. But ill would it deserve that name, if, during the interval between her death and resurrection, her soul went to heaven, where the pleasures of good men, and their advantages for improvement, are multiplied an hundred-fold, and was sent back from this happy state, to occupy her body again, and to struggle with the disadvantages and evils of mortality. Life, restored in such circumstances, would be a misfortune rather than a blessing; a subject of condolence rather than of congratulation. But not such, undoubtedly, was the favour conferred in the present instance. Time, that would have been unproductive in the grave, was now bestowed upon one who knew how to apply it to the best purposes.

3. The joy which took place between Dorcas and her friends, when she was presented to them alive, may give us some faint idea of the pleasure which will be felt by good men, at the first interview with each other at the general resurrection from the dead. How delighted will they be to behold each other again; with what joy will they be transported to find themselves safely landed on the happy shores of that world; to find their fears and anxieties dissipated, their hopes and wishes realised; to behold themselves in the company of friends whom they most valued and esteemed, entering upon a new state of existence, abounding with all good things, and never to have an end, where plea sure will be enjoyed without any mixture of pain, and where friends will have no reason to fear a separation any more! Blessed and glorious period! for the pros pect of which we are indebted to the gospel of Christ. May we do nothing now that may forfeit our title to this happiness; nothing that may unfit us for those blissful regions.