shall such an example be lost upon us, my brethren? -Rather may a sense of the Divine goodness be impressed upon our minds whenever we are the subjects of a joyous and salutary dispensation; and may we glorify Him in our lives, as well as with our lips, to whom we are indebted for all we have, and all we can hope to attain, that deserves the name of good!

2. Our attention is next to be directed to the indignant behaviour of the ruler of the synagogue. Whatever were the secret emotions of his mind, he affects to be displeased at the circumstance of this cure being performed on the sabbath day, and addresses himself to the people in the tone of censure: "And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath-day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day." In this language is couched an artful innuendo, that our Lord had violated the sanctity of that season which was set apart for holy solemnities,-though the reproof is particularly addressed to those who were assembled around him in the synagogue. Had this reprover duly regarded and seriously contemplated the miracle which had been performed, he might have been fully assured that he who wrought it, was no other than the Lord of the sabbath, and was therefore not amenable to any tribunal, even had his conduct been such as in any other person would have been justly open to reprehension. Independently, however, of this peculiar consideration, the act

itself was one of mercy and compassion, which, as we have repeatedly had occasion to observe, is no infringement of the sanctity of that day, which is especially set apart for the service of God. But the ruler of the synagogue was evidently hostile to the claims of our Lord, and appears to have spoken under the influence of an evil heart of unbelief. Plausible therefore as his language might appear, and artful as was his conduct in addressing himself to the people, of whom we know not that they had any concern in the matter beyond the simple fact of being present on the occasion, and witnessing what had transpired; it is sufficiently clear that Jesus himself was in reality the object of his indignation. Here then we discern the depravity of the human heart, the duplicity and subtlety of that carnal mind which is enmity against God, and from the influence of which we should earnestly pray that we may be completely delivered.

3. Hence we are led to notice, thirdly, the spirited rebuke of our Lord, occasioned by this insidious conduct of the ruler: "The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? Our Saviour knew what was in this man's heart, and therefore at once charged him with that dissimulation of which he had been guilty, directly accosting him as a hypocrite.

He does not, however, dwell, as he justly might have done, on this topic of crimination; but, vindicating his own conduct, by referring to the customary practice of the Jews in the case of their cattle,—to the necessary wants of which they did not hesitate to attend on the sabbath day,-he enforces that argument by an immediate appeal to the conscience of the ruler. Our Saviour does not censure the conduct to which he refers. Had that conduct indeed been wrong, it would have been glaringly inconsistent, and altogether inexcusable for any one who either practised or sanctioned it, to have charged our Lord with a breach of the sabbath, for performing a signal act of mercy on that holy day. Allowing it, on the other hand, to be right to attend to the wants of cattle on the sabbath, the argument is irresistibly powerful in support of our Saviour's conduct. Well then might he ask, " Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham," one not only of your own species, but of your own kindred according to the flesh-one too who has long been suffering under a most severe calamity," ought not this woman, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day?" Our Lord's censure was just, and his argument complete. He had reason, conscience, and Scripture on his side. If God careth for cattle, much more is he concerned for the welfare and happiness of the children of men. Let us rejoice, my brethren, in the multitude of his mercies; let us be thankful for the recorded instances of his loving-kindness, and put our trust in that

Saviour, in the history of whose life the Divine love is largely illustrated and confirmed. Proceed we then to notice,

4. Fourthly, the confusion of our Lord's opponents: "And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed." Among these we must suppose the ruler of the synagogue to be included; and as we do not read of his having made any reply, it is natural to infer that his conscience accused him, and that he did not attempt to vindicate himself, or to refute the powerful argument which he had heard. But it appears, there were other adversaries present on this occasion. These too were abashed and put to confusion; awed and overcome by what they had seen, and by the force of truth uttered by the faithful and true witness. So it will be, my brethren, sooner or later, with all those who oppose themselves to the purposes of God, to his mercy in Jesus Christ, and to the truth of the Gospel of his grace. Either the confusion of self-abasing penitence resulting from the conviction of sin will overwhelm them with shame and grief; or the confusion of Divine vengeance will visit them for their obstinate impenitence and hardness of heart. Should the former be the case with them, they will then be instructed to seek forgiveness and salvation through Him whom they once refused to acknowledge and receive in the character of a Saviour; and coming to him in humble and unfeigned faith, will find rest and comfort to their souls:-but should the latter be their awful condition, nothing can then deliver them from the unutterable terrors of the wrath

to come :-nothing can then rescue them from the bitter pains of eternal death. Whoso is wise will ponder these things, with all seriousness, in his heart; and will beware of resisting the Saviour, or opposing the purposes of his grace ;-for nothing is more certain than that his enemies will eventually be defeated, -that they will inevitably be clothed with shame.

5. The last particular which we have to notice presents a pleasing contrast to that which we have just considered: it is the general gladness of the multitude: "And all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him." This was the proper and legitimate effect of what had been seen and heard. The things which had been done by Jesus in the presence of those who were assembled in the synagogue were glorious indeed-glorious in power, and glorious in mercy; admirably adapted to glorify his Father who was in heaven, and to manifest his own glory as the Messiah, whose character and whose mighty works were foretold by the prophets. These glorious things therefore, while they excited astonishment, diffused also an extensive joy; for all the people rejoiced on account of them. Nor was it only in respect to what they had witnessed on the present occasion that their hearts were filled with gladness, but as the words of the Evangelist seem rather to import, in respect to an extended series of mighty works which they had seen; for they "rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him." Thus his character was continually exalted, and his cause was making progress, in spite of the enmity and opposition of his