Jesus consented to grant him the relief he sought. But while on the way towards his house for that purpose, other of the centurion's friends met him, bearing a message so full of the meekest humility, and the most unhesitating faith, that Jesus determined to depart from his usual course of proceeding. Without seeing the sufferer, or even approaching any nearer to the house, he spake the word only, and in that selfsame hour the servant was healed.

It

On account of this signal miracle, Jesus was accompanied by a greater crowd, perhaps even than usual, when on "the day after" he approached the city of Nain. At all events, it was graciously ordered that his attendants were so numerous. was graciously ordered that a more than common assemblage should be drawn together, to witness a work so convincing as an evidence of the truth of his mission, and so consolatory for the insight it gave into the nature of it. "Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the

only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and much people of the city was with her."

The

Every one of the particulars here recorded, deserves notice. They constitute a perfect climax of woe.-Let us endeavour to bring the scene before us.—Jesus, accompanied as we have seen, by a great multitude, is passing round the foot of Mount Tabor towards Nain. As he approaches the city, its gates open, and a procession issues forth, whose mournful characteristics immediately declare the business that is in hand. wailing and plaintive notes of the flute"the great and very sore lamentation" of "the mourning women,"-" the eyes running down with tears, and the eyelids gushing out with waters-men tearing themselves in mourning to comfort them for the dead"-these doleful accompaniments of a Jewish funeral, tell too plainly to be mistaken, that " a dead man is carried out." This of itself is enough to arrest Christ's attention; for this alone declares presence of distress the most interest

the

ing, if not the most acute, the human heart can feel. Even among us, with our clearer light and better hope, there is no blow for a time more heavy than that which is inflicted by the dissolution of those dear to us. With what crushing weight then must it have fallen upon the Jew, to whom life and immortality had not been declared, who knew not that the dead in Christ, shall rise again with him, and that the earth and the sea shall one day give up the bodies of the saints, that they may dwell together for ever before the Lord in glory. Ignorant of this only solace, they felt their woe most keenly, and expressed it with loud and vehement lamentations.

But in the case now before our Lord, there is evidently something peculiar. The procession is an extraordinary one even for the ceremonial of a Jewish funeral. "Much people of the city" follow it. It is not, as on common occasions, confined to the relations and immediate connections of the deceased, but is swelled by much of the general

population of the town, as in a case of public mourning. What circumstance is it that creates this especial interest?

The dead man carried out is, in the first place," the only son of his mother." And is not this a mighty increase to the intensity of the suffering?-a strong appeal to the sympathy and commiseration of fellow-citizens and friends?-The young man about to be committed to the tomb is an only child-the only hope, the only joy, the only solace of his now bereaved and desolate parents.-Parents, did I say?-Alas! not so, for there is yet a darker shade to be added to the gloomy picture." There was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow."-What a load of sorrow is thrown in by that one word! By comparison, the case was a light one before. A mother has lost her only child. It is sad truly-but yet she is not left comfortless. She hath the spouse of her bosom, the tender assiduities of an husband to soothe her.-Nay, she is not without hope that the loss of him who

has been removed, may be supplied, and she may yet once more be a "joyful mother of children." Is there indeed hope of this?-No-the youth" is the only "is son of his mother, and she is a widow !""Call me not Naomi," a heart-stricken parent has said, under circumstances of similar bereavement-"call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me '."

Such then was the scene, and such the procession, which arrested the attention, and checked the progress of our Lord and his followers, as they drew nigh to the gates of Nain. We have hitherto accompanied the Saviour, and contemplated as with him, the group that awaited his approach; but we have now brought the two companies together. Let us stand aloof awhile, and consider