the Gospel, as if special reference were made, (although mystically,) to the different degrees which may exist in the very desperateness of cases where spiritual decay has proceeded to extremity, and life itself has at last become extinct? The Ruler's Daughter, just departed, brings to mind those cases where there seems, humanly, to exist the most of hope. The youth, already on his way to burial, suggests a graver, and, (as we deem,) a more hopeless case. What hope for Lazarus, four days dead? concerning whom, the Sister was heard to intimate that corruption had already begun to do its work!.... Yet is there found to have been hope, even there! 'Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead".'

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What then are the lessons which lie upon the very surface of this miracle? We have seen that our Blessed LORD, who knew all the untold bitterness of this poor woman's spirit, visited her with His gracious consolation, and restored to her the son whom she had lost. We know that though removed from the sight of human eyes, His power is no less mighty to console the afflicted and to heal the sick, than when He

b Isaiah xxvi. 19.

went about on earth, doing good. He is as near to ourselves, as He was to the widow of Nain, and His power to console extends to every sorrow which the imagination can conceive. The loss of those most precious to us, is the sorrow most particularly brought before the soul by this miracle; and though the loss was in this one instance repaired, yet to every sorrowing heart the same voice still whispers, Weep not!' It still guides the thoughts to the SAVIOUR of the World, as the true Comforter of human sorrow,-even to Him who is able, after a wondrous fashion, to fill the aching void; while it points onward to that blessed Season, (which cannot be very far distant from any one of us,) when He will Himself 'wipe away all tears from all faces.'

And besides the power of our SAVIOUR CHRIST to yield strong consolation under every imaginable form of human woe, the sight of that dead man stretched upon his bier, warns us to give heed to the first symptoms of the soul's deadness to spiritual things. From such death, indeed, none can raise us, save that Almighty One at whose voice the young man arose! And to what other source shall we look for help that we may never so far die to spiritual influences, as to be slow to hear His voice? We know that He

is daily calling upon us to arise, if we are dead; if we are only asleep, to awake from that sleep, and serve Him. To Him therefore let us look for help, to Him let us devoutly pray for that awakening, that quickening Spirit, which alone can enable us to obey His summons, and to perform His bidding; and, when we have served Him in our generation and fallen asleep in Him, to arise with joy at the latter day; in humble reliance on His merits, who Himself died, and was buried and rose again.

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.

ABASEMENT AND EXALTATION.

St. LUKE xiv. 11.

Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

IN considering this Parable, we have an advantage which we do not possess in regard to all, nor indeed to many, of the Parables of our Blessed LORD. We are not only informed of the circumstances under which it was spoken, but we have the actual declaration of GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT to inform us against whom it was directed. We are informed that when JESUS marked how those who were bidden chose out the chief rooms, (that is, the chief places at the table,) He put forth this parable to them. We are therefore at no loss to understand its application. It is, in its primary intention at least, a rebuke of that spirit by which men seek for themselves the highest things of this World; and a rebuke at

the same time of that proud spirit, which leads men to think themselves worthy of them, and to despise or neglect others. The teaching of our Blessed LORD is often expressly allusive to some precept of the Old Testament; and, in this instance, the very parable itself is for the most part an expansion of two verses in the twentyfifth chapter of the Book of Proverbs.

'Put not forth thyself in the presence of the King, and stand not in the place of great men; for better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the Prince, whom thine eyes have seen.' This is therefore the same lesson which the SPIRIT of GOD delivered to the men of old time; but made new by Him, who was pleased again to repeat its warnings, and with a wider application. And this example shews us how the Book of Proverbs really contains, under what appear to be maxims of worldly prudence, a hidden store of heavenly wisdom.

The rebuke of the proud and lofty spirit which is unwilling to be contented in any but the chief room,' is the first lesson here conveyed; but more important warnings are to be found in these words, if we seek for them aright. To the worldly mind, all the advantages of this life seem