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seek such to worship him, as worship in spirit and in truth.

The woman of Samaria retires from the presence of Christ a believer in him as the Saviour of the world; and as she tells the story of her conversion, many others receive the same faith, and are saved in like manner. Forget not this one suggestion, daughters of Zion! This woman had found Christ, and she would not have done well to hold her peace. Straight was the path she took, as, forgetful of her pitcher, she hasted away to the city. "Come!" was her earnest word;-"Come, see the Messiah !" Too great was the blessing she had found, to be concealed for a moment. And as she told the story of her faith, many others believed also. Thus shall it ever be. This simple and sincere testimony, on the lips of the Christian, shall be powerful in its influence, and many shall hear, and fear, and turn to the Lord. It is a mournful feature of Christian society in these days, that what is termed commonconversation strongly tends to be worldly rather than spiritual. Religion is too much confined to churches, and sermons, and prayers. It flows not forth, as it ought, to mingle itself with all the affairs of .life, and to sanctify all the minutiae of our transient existence upon earth. We would not advocate a noisy or ostentatious religion. Christians must of course, be wise, as well as holy. But we would welcome the day when the spiritual element shall enter more freely and fully

into our daily intercourse and conduct;—when the glory of God shall be in our eye, even in the matters of eating and drinking; and when no corrupt communication shall proceed from our mouths, but such as is good to the use of edifying, that it may, like that of the Samaritan woman, minister grace to the hearers.

The Woman of the bloody issue.

HERE rises another illustrious instance of woman's faith. The person concerned had been long an invalid, and her disorder was of a highly distressing and discouraging character. Twelve melancholy years had passed over her since the commencement of her infirmity; one and another physician had prescribed for her; many remedies had been proposed and tested. Sometimes hope would animate her; then again failure and discouragement would ensue. In many instances harsh measures had been adopted, subjecting her to much distress and anguish. All this she could gladly have endured, if, beyond her sufferings, she could have welcomed returning health and happiness. But every experiment, however painful, was without effect, save to leave her in a more distressed and hopeless condition than before. Meanwhile, so desirable to her was the great blessing of health, she had spent all her substance in purchasing those vain and injurious medica

ments. She had sold all that she had, to purchase the healing of her infirmity; and when all was gone she was "nothing better, but rather grew worse." Her sickness remained with her when her means of sustenance were gone, and no house remained to shelter her-nor wardrobe from which to clothe and warm her sinking frame.

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It was under these dark circumstances that she "heard of Jesus." His fame was now spread abroad. Vast multitudes from various quarters had flocked to see him, when they had heard what great things he did. Many sick and diseased people had been all suddenly restored to health. Distressed and dying ones had been borne to him from various regions, and, in every case, they rose up at his command, and returned home with the fair bloom of perfect health sitting upon their countenances. Raging demoniacs had been released from the destroyer, and were sitting among their friends, clothed, and in their right mind. Hapless lepers, at his touch, had felt their flesh renewed, in a twinkling, as the flesh of a little child, and went from his presence publishing abroad the great things that Jesus had done for them.

Of all this, and more than this, she of whom we write did hear, and, as she heard, she seized upon faith for her own recovery. She had gone down to deep extremity. Her health, and home, and bread were all gone. Her last hope seemed to be dying, when came the tidings of the heavenly Physician.

From this moment she seems to us to have entertained no lurking doubt. She saw that her time had now come; that, after long sorrow, the hour of joy was at hand; and the mournful night that had so long hung over her, was about to end in a bright and glorious morning.

We may readily imagine that she made no delay in hastening to Christ. Her faith was unusual, and it bore her swiftly to where the multitude were assembled, and urged her, as with a determined and final effort, through the crowds that surrounded and thronged the Messiah. Who may tell her emotions at this moment of her history, and as, in her violence, she said within herself, "If I may but touch his clothes, I shall be whole!" What then was the trembling energy of that frail hand, as she thrust it forth to realize the blessed contact! She touched; and according to her faith so it was done to her. Her plague was healed straightway, and she felt the tide of health at once flowing blissfully through her long-wearied and sickly frame. Who touched my clothes?" And as she heard these words, and his eye fell upon her, she feared exceedingly. For a moment it seemed, perhaps, that her Saviour was displeased with the liberty she had taken-was about to rebuke her forwardness-and resume the virtue that, without being asked for, had "gone out of him." An awful moment must that have been to the trembling woman. How could she lose again the priceless

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blessing which she had just received? And how could she endure, in addition, the reproach of the great Deliverer? It seemed a great and momentous crisis, and she is speedily prostrated before him. Here she tells him all; and, in return, there is no rebuke. The accents of infinite beauty and love fall upon her ear, saying, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole-go in peace, and be whole of thy plague." His sacred approbation and assurance are given now, and the reward of her faith is pleasant, as are the months and years of joyous health and sunny peace, after long periods of suffering and discouragement.

The faith of this woman stands among the most precious and remarkable examples. It was a confidence in the infinite exuberance of the Messiah's power and goodness. In her eye he was an inexhaustible fountain of glory and virtue. In him she saw in realization the vision of the prophet, and the very clothing of Jesus was the robes of salvation, and the smell of his garments was as the smell of Lebanon. In her mind it was safety to be near him, and health and life to hear his voice. She beheld in Christ the infinite fullness that was ever ready to burst forth, and like the electric spark, to fly wherever a connecting medium, slight though it were, might be established. The putting forth of her hand to touch the sacred vestments, was but the visible emblem of her struggling and confiding soul. Her spirit leaned, without the slightest hesitation,

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