suredly be raised hereafter "from death to life, from

dust to glory."

See Luke vii. 1-16.

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY EVENING.

THE MESSENGERS OF JOHN.

M. I told you at the close of our last conversation, Edward, how much the restoration of the widow's son had astonished all the people; and how they "glorified God saying, that a great prophet was risen up among them; and that God had visited his people."

E. So far they were right, Mamma; for, you know, Jesus was that great prophet whom Moses had promised them.

M. They were right indeed, as far as they went; but, you see, their minds were still so blinded, that they could not see how much more than a Prophet they had among them. Not even such a miracle, as that which they had just seen, could convince them, that the Son of God, their promised Messiah, stood before them. The news, however, of what Christ had done, spread far and wide through all Judea and through all the region round about, and penetrated at last even the walls of that sad prison, where John the Baptist was confined; for the disciples of John told him all these things. And when John heard of the works of Christ, he called unto him two of his disciples, and sent them to Jesus, saying, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another ?"

E. Mamma, I am surprised at that; for I thought

John had plainly pointed out our Lord as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world: therefore, you know, he must have believed Him to be the Messiah that should come.

M. There can be no doubt that John himself believed in Christ; it must, therefore, have been merely to satisfy the minds of his disciples, that he sent them to Jesus with such a message. They were attached to their own master, John, and were unwilling, most probably, to acknowledge any greater than himself: and therefore he sent them to Christ, in the hope that, hearing His heavenly doctrine and seeing His extraordinary miracles, they might be convinced that He was the Son of God.

E. And what did our Lord say to them?

M. At the time that they came He was curing many of their infirmities, and plagues, and evil spirits; and unto many that were blind He gave sight. “And He answered and said unto John's disciples, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see; the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed; the deaf hear; the dead are raised; to the poor the gospel is preached: and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me." Our Lord could not have declared more plainly that He was indeed the Christ. These were the very works which their own prophets had foretold the Messiah should perform; especially, you know, the prophet Isaiah. I dare say you can tell me his exact words.

E. Yes, in the thirty-fifth chapter he says, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing."

And again, in the twenty-ninth chapter, "In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eye of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among the people shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel:" just as the poor widow rejoiced when she got her son back again! How true, Mamma, was all that the prophets said of Christ!

M. And it was to those works of His, which so exactly fulfilled their words, that our Lord drew the attention of John's disciples, in order to remove their doubts; pronouncing at the same time a blessing on those, who, laying aside all their prejudices, should allow themselves to be convinced, and accept Him as their Lord and Saviour. Well indeed, after such an appeal, might our Saviour add: "Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me." To John himself, amidst all the afflictions of his prison-house, it must have been a great consolation and joy to receive these tidings of the increasing glory of that Saviour, on whom his best hopes rested. He might now, like Simeon, depart in peace, whenever, and by whatever death, it should please God to call him away: if his eyes had not seen, his ears had fully heard the salvation of God.

When the disciples of John had returned, Jesus began to declare the praise of John before all the people, telling them very plainly that this was he of whom the prophet had spoken so clearly, saying, "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee." You remember, I am sure, how great an interest the people had felt about John, before he was cast into prison?

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TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY EVENING.

E. Yes, you know, they flocked in multitudes into the wilderness to see him.

"What went

M. And now our Saviour asks them, what it was that drew them there in such numbers. ye out into the wilderness to see?" doubt important and extraordinary.

Something no

Was it to see the reeds on the banks of Jordan waving in the wind? No; it was not for this that the whole people poured forth into the desert in such crowds. John was no waving reed, tossed to and fro, like a weak and foolish person, with every wind of vain doctrine ;turning this way or that, now teaching one thing, and now another, just as the people wished. He was more like the cedars of Lebanon, or the oaks of Bashan, firm amidst the tempest. Often indeed are the multitude drawn together by trifles light as a waving reed, but it was not so now.

What was it then? Some courtly pageant, such as the people like to gaze upon; a man clothed in rich and gorgeous apparel, on his way to a luxuriant banquet? Such sights are not uncommon, and always attract plenty of beholders.

E. But I am sure that was not the case now, Mamma; for John's clothing was a rough coat of camel's hair, bound with a leather girdle, and he had no rich feasts to partake of, but only locusts and wild honey.

M. Exactly so; and it was the simplicity, nay more, the self-denial and austerity, which marked him, not the splendour of his appearance, that attracted general notice.

Was he then, asks our Saviour, a Prophet? For more than four hundred years the voice of a pro

phet had not been heard in Judea. God had ceased to speak to His people by Prophets, since the time of Malachi. Yes; John was a prophet, but he was still more. He was the subject of prophecy; that Elijah, of whom the last of the prophets had spoken. His office was of a more excellent kind than theirs ; and poor as he seemed, and hard as was his outward lot, he was the most highly honoured of all the men that had yet appeared, before the coming of our Saviour.

Even Noah and Moses, David and Daniel, were lower in spiritual rank than John. It is true they all spoke of Christ; but how darkly and indistinctly compared with him! These great patriarchs and prophets reflected indeed the beams of the Sun of righteousness, but it was from a great distance. John was far nearer to the "Light of the world," and shone with a brighter and steadier blaze; though in this respect, even John was inferior to the teachers who were soon to arise in the Christian Church, the least of whom should be enabled, more clearly and more fully far than John, to speak concerning Christ the Saviour of the world.

And remember that Christ has Himself pronounced a blessing on those, who instead of being offended at Him and His doctrines, as the Jews were, believe in Him with all their hearts, placing their hopes of salvation in Him, and Him alone. "Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me." May this gracious promise sink deep into our hearts! Let us not put it from us, as the Pharisees and many others did. Some indeed there were who had been roused by the preaching first of John, and then of Christ, to a strong sense of their sins, and showed such earnestness to save their souls, that our