Matthew. That, however, was delivered on a mount, and this on a plain; and on examining them and comparing them together, we find them differing very much, though parts of the former discourse were repeated in this, it being another assembly.

In the seventh chapter, the Evangelist informs us of Christ's raising to life the son of the widow of Nain. He was just at the moment entering into that city, and a number of his disciples and followers were with him; and on approaching the gate he met a funeral procession. The dead person was a young man, the only son of a widow. The custom was not to enclose the body in a coffin, as with us, but to carry it on an open bier, borne on the shoulders, just merely covering the corpse with a cloth. The poor widow followed in great sorrow, weeping intensely, over her great and overwhelming loss; and who could help her? She seems to have been much respected and so was her son, by the large concourse that attended the funeral; but her friends and neighbors could only pity her. Jesus pitied her too, for he had a heart full of tenderness, as he has now; but he could do something

more for her than mere mortals, he had power even over death; and so he said kindly to the widow, "Weep not. And he came and touched the bier, and they that bare him stood still, and he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak; and he delivered him to his mother."

In the same chapter, we have also an account of a woman that had been a notorious sinner, who entered the house where Christ was dining with one of the Pharisees. He, as usual, was engaged in speaking the words of instruction, and she listened to him with the greatest attention. Every word touched her heart, and as his feet lay bare on the couch, according to custom, the tears fell in a shower from her eyes, and bathed them all over. She, perceiving this, wiped them with the tresses of her hair, which hung loose about her shoulders, and then, not thinking herself worthy to anoint his head, she kissed his feet, and poured upon them some liquid perfume. The Pharisee was surprised that a holy prophet, as Jesus professed to be, should allow a woman of such a class to approach him; and though he did not speak, Jesus knew what he thought. And he told him there were two debtors; and the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. As they were unable to pay, their creditor kindly forgave them. Now, he would ask the Pharisee, which of these was likely to love the kind creditor most? "Why," said the Pharisee, "the one who had most forgiven him." Rightly said," answered our Lord; "now thou hast not had the sense of pardon as this woman. My words touched her heart; she has sincerely repented; her many sins are forgiven her, and she therefore loves me much.”

Some think that this is the same woman that we read about in the twentysixth chapter of Matthew; but many who have carefully studied their Bible think otherwise, and for these reasons: the story told by Matthew happened in Bethany, this in Galilee; that in the house of Simon the leper, and this in the house of Simon the Pharisee; that was but two days before the death of Christ, and this a considerable time before; the ointment that woman poured was poured upon his head, and this upon his feet.

In the second verse of the eighth chapter we have mention made of Mary called Magdalene," or Mary of Magdala, so called, just as Jesus was called Jesus of Nazareth; for Magdala was the place of residence of this Mary, as Nazareth was that of Jesus. Out of this woman our Lord cast seven evil spirits, which, I have before remarked, were suffered then in an extraordinary manner to torment the minds and bodies of men. Few persons can, without considerable reflection, form the slightest idea of the gratitude and love that must have moved the poor afflicted creatures toward Christ whose lives were converted from misery to a full degree of health and bodily comfort. Among them not the least favored by this "Physician of all physicians" was this Mary, who became a faithful follower of her Lord

The Seventy Disciples sent forth.-The inquiring Lawyer.-The Good Samaritan.-Martha and Mary.

IN

LUKE X.

N the tenth chapter we are told, that, besides the twelve apostles, whom Jesus chose to be witnesses to his truth, and to declare it to the world, he also sent forth seventy disciples, who were to go in company with each other, two one way and two another way, and so with the whole.

And now he mentioned the awful state of Chorazin, and Bethsaida,— cities where he had preached and performed his glorious miracles, so that the inhabitants, if they had reflected, must have seen that he was the true Messiah, the Son of God, and have repented and believed his words. Instead of which they rejected him in spite of all the words he spoke, and the mighty deeds he performed, to prove that his message was divine,—and so

now they must perish. Tyre and Sidon were very wicked cities, but these were more wicked; for Tyre and Sidon had never heard nor seen such things as were made known to the people of Capernaum and Bethsaida.

Encouraged by their divine Lord, the disciples went forth; and, having gone on their circuit, they returned and told their Master of their great success, and that they had even cast out devils at the mention of his

authority. He then told them that he saw Satan, when he was, for rebel lion, cast out of heaven quick as lightning, and he still foresaw that his power on earth should be destroyed. They should trample on venomous creatures, and receive no hurt, but much more should the preaching of his word break down the power which evil spirits might have over the minds

of men.

Yet they were not to glory in being able to perform miracles, for they could do nothing without his aid and might; but they ought indeed to glory, when he told them that their names were "written in heaven;" and that as citizens were often enrolled, or their names written in the books of cities where they dwelt, so they were considered by him as the citizens of that happy place, as much as if such a book of their names were actually kept there.

While our Lord was talking to the seventy disciples, a lawyer or one of the writers and expounders of the Jewish law-came to him and said, "Master," or Teacher, "what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Our Lord asked him what he read in his own law? And he said he found there, that he was to love God with all his heart, and his neighbor as himself. "Do this," said Jesus, "and thou shalt live." This is the grand