God of Israel, whom thou hast defied:" his weapons were the sling and the stone. Not that David was without armour; every soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ has armour on and so had David; but it was not Saul's armour, not man's armour. God equips all his believing people for their warfare, as soon as he inclines them into his service: he leads them into his armoury, and opens all the stores he has provided for them, where they see what is fitted for them, and that which is commanded of God. He makes them acquainted with this, and lays the foundation of their faith, because they see in whom they have believed, and on whom they have to depend.

Similar to this, was the conduct of Hezekiah, which seems beautifully to convey the idea of God's gracious conduct to the believing soul. "Hezekiah was glad of them”—that is, the ambassadors of the king of Babylon—" and showed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not." This conveys to our mind a sweet idea of the gracious dealings of God with his people. He leads us into his treasury, shows us the unsearchable riches of his grace, and what he has provided to enable us to fight the good fight of faith: he shows us the weapons of our divine warfare, the strength of them, and that they are of divine manufacture: there is nothing in all his dominions that he does not open out, in order that we might put our trust in him, and go out in his strength to battle. This is the armour that Paul exhorts us to put on, when he says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Thus harnessed, my brethren, David went forth to meet the uncircumcised Philistine ; and in this confidence he said, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come unto thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied." O sirs, what a standard is here! David puts his life into his right hand because the name of his God is assailed. My brethren, where is the standard of your faith? Does not this plant a stab in the temporizing spirit of modern Christians? Where is the man now to be found who will put his life into his right hand for the sake of any indignity which may have been offered up to the name of his God? His life! Alas, for the apathy of the day in which we live! Where is the man that will even dare to risk his name, or his reputation, or his interest? Scarcely one will be found willing to hazard his ease or his credit to vindicate

the honour of the God who has bought him with his blood. Not so David. he, full of faith, went out, because he heard the name of his God dishonoured, and his Israel reproached. "What! against a giant, and a champion, in arms !" "No matter; he has blasphemed the name of my God, and in the strength of that God will I go out and meet him, yea, unarmed as I am." Thus went David forth, though only a ruddy youth, with a sling and a stone, and levelled in a moment the haughty Philistine with the dust.

"The weapons of our warfare," beloved Christians, "are not carnal, but mighty through God." And whenever a saint of God may go forth to battle, under any extreme peril, or any peculiar temptation-if he go out in the name of God, and act out faith in the God in whom he trusts, such is the exemplar of the conquests which he shall gain. Never was any yet brought to confusion who put his trust in the Lord. But what is the weapon by which he quells his foes, by which he quiets his inward fear, by which out of weakness he is made strong, waxeth valiant in fight, and putteth to flight the armies of the aliens? Not the word which man's wisdom teacheth: no; but which the Holy Ghost teacheth-the word of God. "Thus it is written"-that is the weapon with which Christ repelled and subdued the devil. "Thus it is written" this is the weapon with which also his people all prevail. What is it, my brethren, that has at times delivered you out of your fears, and supported you under trial, and brought light in the midst of darkness? The word of God-some truth, some promise written in your heart by the Holy Spirit; and you have been delivered, and your enemy has been driven before your face. So it is when the Christian champion, the soldier of Jesus Christ is tried, and he goes forth to fight; he takes up his sling. There is as well a similitude in the spirit as in the weapon, between David and the Church. He goes forth with a sling-"Thus it is written:" and in that sling he puts the Word of God; some truth or some promise; the little stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which breaketh in pieces the iron and the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold. By faith he takes a well-directed aim, and by prayer and supplication he slings the fatal bolt, and wounds his enemy in the head. And so it is written, “The woman's seed shall bruise the serpent's head;" and, "Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken into pieces; but upon whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind them to powder."

O may we not, on review of our experience, beloved, say-not "Blessed is the people who are rich," but-" Blessed is the people who have the Lord for their God." Are you tried by sorrow, by affliction, by temptation in your career? Marvel not; but remember this-it is a mark of sonship, it is the evidence that you are in the faith of Christ, that you are thus exercised by him. O then remember to fulfil the duties here described: trust in the Lord; put not your trust in the arm of flesh, but look to him; and he will keep and preserve you safe, for "He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed

in him."

But I may be addressing those who know little of the peace and comfort, and the strength of faith in Christ., Now unto you I would say, brethren, Seek the way before you is plain. If you are still in your sins, do not take up the profession of Christ unadvisedly. Follow not the example of some, who take it

it

There is

merely as a creed, and learn it in the theory, while they act it not. something that prevents your entering into the kingdom of heaven; and what is that? The sins you have committed; the guilt you have contracted, and brought upon your poor soul. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God; confess and acknowledge your sins, if you feel them; and if you have not a penitential heart, pray that you may have that broken heart, and contrite spirit that he will not despise: and then believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall find peace to your souls.

534

THE WIDOW'S SON RAISED.

REV. E. IRVING, A.M.

CALEDONIAN CHURCH, CROSS STREET, HATTON-GARDEN, JULY 10, 1825.

"And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother."-LUKE, Vii. 11-15.

THE former act of healing the centurion's servant was done to a man full of faith and of the fruits of faith; and is therefore an encouragement to all the faithful to look unto Him in whom they have believed, that they may be healed from all their diseases, and delivered from all their infirmities. But this more wonderful demonstration of divine power was done unto a sorrowful mother, concerning whose faith or character our Lord seems neither to have been informed, nor to have sought information: and therefore it is a lesson to all the sons and daughters of affliction, without any exception, to flee for consolation and to seek their help in Him who was anointed "to preach glad tidings to the meek, to bind up the broken-hearted, to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."

Now may the Spirit of God fill our hearts with a divine tenderness and sympathy, such as moved the divine Saviour when he beheld this desolate mother, that we may speak comfortably to every afflicted soul; and leave upon all the solemn conviction, that a great Prophet hath arisen up among us, and that God hath visited his people.

The event was on this wise. The Lord having fulfilled his commission to the town and neighbourhood of Capernaum, where he had done many mighty works, and held many edifying discourses both in the synagogues and in the open places; passed on from Capernaum to another corner of the great harvest field-which is the world-there also to scatter the seed of life eternal. And most like unto a traveller bound on a celestial message to the souls of men, he hastened to another town where he might have numerous audiences of people, and larger scope for his ministry of health to the body, and his ministry of salvation to the souls of men. In which, as in every thing else, the Lord should be the example of his ministering servants, to whom the scenes of silent and inanimate nature, with all their picturesque beauty, and sublime grandeur, should be as nothing, and all the sentimental musings which are sung and said

over them should be as the voice of the winds which sigh among the uninhabited solitudes; while he, the messenger of immortality hastens on from one dwelling-place of immortal souls to another; to populous villages and sick alleys of crowded towns, in order to impart to the perishing people the Word of life with which he is commissioned from the Prince of Life.

The countenance of a man, though it be fierce and savage as the rough wilderness, and hard as the flinty rock, the countenance of an immortal man is the true scene to awaken the lively emotions of the minister of Christ to it let him address his weightiest discourse; over that image of God in ruins— hot over the ruins of an uninhabited town, but over that image of God in ruins -let his melancholy musings wander; and to repair that wreck, let him bring his heavenly means; and to quicken it with divine light, let him prophesy from morning till evening. For in one day the Lord went from Capernaum to Nain-a distance I should judge of not less than twenty or thirty milesattended by many disciples and much people: for we know that as he went along his custom was, to drop ever and anon words of wisdom and memorable parables, containing the mysteries of his kingdom. So that the multitude followed to hear and learn more of his doctrine, and to witness larger demonstrations of his power. For he had not yet ventured to expound the mystery of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, which scattered them all abroad. Their first feelings of Christ still lay fresh in their minds; their hope that he would fulfil their idea of Messiah, kindled in their hearts. They had not discovered the unworldliness and the spirituality of his kingdom, though they hung on his lips with earnestness. Ah! and if they had been faithful and would have been convinced! Never, never, until he come again shall men have such an evidence of the divinity of their Teacher as was prepared for this company which attended his steps from Capernaum to Nain. For the Father, in consideration of the weakness of their faith, had prepared for them a scene and an act whereby to glorify God in their sight, and in the sight of the people of that town to which he came. And that the Saviour of men might be received with due honour into the town, the great and mighty act was done without the gate, in the presence of a mighty concourse of the townsmen.

Now you must observe, for the understanding of this act, the manner of the Jews in those times, as it is with eastern nations still. The cemeteries for the dead were generally without the walls of the town: because of the great respect they paid to the graves of the dead, and because of certain superstitious notions concerning the resurrection, they were careful not to molest the graves for a long time: so that their burying-grounds were of larger extent than ours, and not to be contained within the walls of towns.

Another thing is necessary to be known concerning the bier. It was borne on the shoulders of men-if the dead person were of any age-and on it lay the corpse of the deceased, with the face frequently exposed, till it came to the place of burial, which by the Jews is called, "the House of the Living." There the lid of the coffin was nailed, and the body consigned to the earth, with many words and acts, all significant of the resurrection.

As the Lord approached the gate of the city, with a multitude of disciples, who had borne him company from Capernaum, or joined him by the way; they were carrying forth to the common burying-ground the body of a young man,