THE TEMPEST STAYED.

203 roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the self-same hour.'-MATT. viii.

N°

many and notable

miracles which Jesus wrought continually before the eyes of His disciples, their faith in Him appears, nearly up to the time of His death, to have been feeble and wavering. There was, no doubt, much of the

national temper in this. The Jewish mind was naturally more inflexible and perverse in the matter of belief than that of the Gentiles generally. Our Lord had repeated occasion to reprove the infidelity even of His own disciples, and to commend the faith of Gentiles, as He did in the case of the centurion just related. And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep. And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And He said unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!'-MATT. viii.

T

HE Redeemer, in His works of power and mercy as

well as in His discourses, had to contend not only

with the hesitating weakness of His disciples, but with the open malice of unbelieving, envious, and enraged enemies amongst the higher orders of Jewish society. 'And, behold, they brought to Him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith He to the sick of the palsy), Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose,

and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.'-MATT. ix.

ΟΝ

JESUS AT MEAT WITH SINNERS.

NE part of our Lord's conduct greatly excited the displeasure, and drew forth against Him the cen

sures, of the Jews. He sought not the rich, the noble, and the self-righteous amongst them, but communed in society with publicans and sinners,-synonymous terms in Jewish estimation, it should seem, and equivalent to 'reprobates' amongst ourselves. To such, He knew, His instructions would be more acceptable and effective than to the proud, boasting Pharisees of the day, who thought they had no need of a teacher or a spiritual physician. 'And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He

JESUS HEALS A WOMAN.

207

saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed Him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto His disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, He said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.'-MATT. ix.

SOME

JESUS HEALS A WOMAN.

OME were very doubtful, almost faithless, who attended the ministry of our Lord, and witnessed

His miracles. There were others humbled and disciplined by affliction, whose hopes were brightened,