therefore well knew that the youth was really dead. The powerful word, which called the breathless body to life, was delivered in an audible voice, before all the company, and even at the very gate of the city, the place of public resort.

This miracle, with others amply attested, abundantly evinces the truth of our Saviour's mission, and that he was indeed the Son of God, the Redeemer of mankind,

CHAPTER XI.

The Character of John the Baptist cleared and justified by the blessed Jesus. He visits Simon the Pharisee. - Display of our Lord's Humility and Condescension.

We have taken notice, in a foregoing chapter, that Herod, incensed at the honest freedom of the Baptist, reproving his adulterous commerce with Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, had cast him into prison; and in this he still continued, though his disciples were suffered to visit and converse with him. In one of these visits, they had given him an account of our Saviour's having elected twelve apostles to preach the gospel, and of his miracles, particularly of his raising to life the daughter of Jarius, and the son of the widow of Nain.

On hearing these wonderful relations, the Baptist immediately dispatched two of his disciples to Jesus, to ask him this important question, "Art thou he that should come, or look we for another?

Accordingly, the disciples of John came to Jesus, and proposed the question of their master, at the very time when he "cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and to many that were blind he gave sight." Jesus, therefore, instead of directly answering their question, bade them return, and inform their master what they had seen:

"Go," said he, "and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." Matt. xi. 4, 5. Go, tell your master, that the very miracles the prophet Isaiah so long since foretold should be wrought by the Messiah, you have yourselves seen performed.

It appears, from the Scriptures, that the Baptist, through the whole course of his ministry, had borne constant and ample testimony to our Saviour's divine mission, that he exhorted those who came to him to rest their faith not on himself, but on "him that should come after him," and that, as soon as he was acquainted who Jesus was, by a visible descent of the Holy Ghost, and a voice from heaven, he made it his business to dispose the Jews in general, and his own disciples in particular, to receive and reverence him, by testifying every where that he was the "Son of God, the Lamb of God, who came down from heaven, and spake the words of God, and to whom God had given the Spirit not by measure."

It seems that the scribes and Pharisees, seeing their pretended mortifications eclipsed by the real austerity of the Baptist, impudently affirmed, that his living in the deserts, his shunning the company of men, the coarseness of his clothing, the abstemiousness of his diet, and the other severities he practiced, were the effects of his being possessed by an apostate spirit, or of a religious melancholy. "For

John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, he hath a devil." Matt. xi. 18.

On the other hand, they would not listen to the heavenly doctrines preached by Christ, because he did not separate himself from society — attributing his free manner of living to a certain looseness of disposition, though they well knew that he observed the strictest temperance himself, and never encouraged the vices of others, either by dissimulation or example. "The Son of Man came eating and drinking; and they say, Behold a man, gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners; but Wisdom is justified of her children." Matt. xi. 19.

He next proceeded to upbraid the several cities where his most wonderful works had been performed. For though they had heard him preach many awakening sermons, and seen him perform such astonishing miracles, as would have converted Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, cities infamous for their impiety, contempt of religion, pride, luxury, and debauchery, yet, so great was their obstinacy, that they persisted in their wickedness, notwithstanding all he had done to convert them from the evil of their ways. "Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell; for if the mighty

works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained unto this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, than for thee." Matt. xi. 21, &c.

Having denounced these judgments on the cities which had neglected to profit by his mighty works, he concluded his discourse with these heavenly words: "Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly at heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matt. xi. 28, &c.

Having concluded this public address, one of the Pharisees (named Simon) desired he would "eat with him:" the blessed Jesus accepted the invitation, accompanied him to his house, and sat down to meat.

He had not continued long at the table before a woman, who had lately left the paths of vice for those of virtue, placed herself behind him, and, from a deep conviction of her former crimes, and the obligations she owed to the Saviour of mankind for bringing her to a sense of them, shed such quantities of tears, that they trickled down on his feet, which, according to the custom of the country, were then bare. But observing that her tears had wet the feet of her beloved Instructor, she immediately wiped them with the hairs of her head, kissed them with the most ardent affection, and anointed them with