tells us, teach us to live to the Lord, while we live, and when we die, to die in the Lord.

But to go on with the history. As soon as the Saviour went in, he said to the people, Give place, leave off these unreasonable and improper doings. Besides, the maid is not dead for ever. I shall raise her to life. Her death is only like a sleep, out of which I am going to awake her. The people however laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead, and foolishly thinking that he had not power to raise her to life again. But when they were gone out, he took the father and the mother, and three of his disciples, witnesses enough, and went into the chamber with them: he then took the child by the hand, and called to her, saying, Maid, arise. The departed Spirit came into her again; her soul, which had taken its flight, returned to the body again: and what a sight must it have been, my friends, the maid arose in health and in life. No wonder, we are

told, that the fame of Jesus Christ's wonderful power went abroad through all that land.

We learn, my friends, from these two histories, which I have given you this evening, what a value our Saviour sets on faith, on a belief in him. Because the poor diseased woman had faith in him, and believed that only the touching of his garment would cure her, he granted her request, and healed her of her wasting sickness. Because the ruler, named Jairus, had faith in him, and believed that he had power to raise his dead child to life, our Lord granted his request, and restored the dead girl to his wishes, the prayers and the sorrows of the afflicted parents. Jesus Christ is not now on earth: he is in Heaven, at the right hand of God the Father, as you learn in the belief, and if you have faith in Him, if you believe in Him as the Saviour, he will plead with his Father for your pardon, and will raise up your bodies

you

from the grave, that where he is, you may be also. But remember, let me entreat to remember what our Saviour himself says, and what I have told you of already. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in Heaven. You must, therefore, shew your faith by your conduct: you must live like Christians: you must shake off every bad lust, every bad temper, you must live soberly, righteously, and godly: you must do all that your Saviour bids you do: if you do not, he will say to you at the last day, (he has told us so himself) Depart from me, all ye that work iniquity. I know you not.

A few words more and I have done. You have now begun a new year. Let me beg you to begin it in a holy and Christian-like manner. Return your thanks to Almighty God for having preserved you safe and in life during the last year. Beg

a

him to pardon what you have done amiss in it, and to give you grace do so no more. Give up yourselves and all who are dear to you to his merciful care, begging him to take you and your's under his protection and his grace, and to grant that you may walk in the ways of his laws, and in the works of his commandments, and that you may be preserved by him both in body and in soul. Endeavour so to behave during the present year, that if you live, you may live like Christians, and if it pleases God to call any of you hence, you may give up your souls into his hands, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, through the same Jesus Christ," who shall change our vile body, that it may be like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself."

And now to God, &c.

LECTURE XXIII.

ST. MATTHEW ix. 35.

And Jesus went about all the city and villages, teaching in the synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

You may remember that I told you before, and indeed have told you often, that Jesus Christ wished all who came to him for the cure of their diseases, to believe in him. If they had not faith in him, he would not have healed them. And in the same way, if we expect and wish, as I hope you all do, to be cured of your sins, and to be made the children of God, it must be by faith in Jesus Christ. We