nestly enforced the centurion's request, saying," he was worthy for whom he should do this; for he loveth our nation, and has built us a synagogue."

Then Jesus went with them, and when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent other friends to him, saying by them, " Lord, trouble not thyself; for I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof. Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee; but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed."

The miracles of our Lord appear to have been the subject of popular conversation and belief; and the manner in which he performed them seems to have been spoken of by those who had witnessed them, as evidence that he possessed an uncontrolled authority over the laws of nature; so that he appeared like an absolute sovereign giving his commands, while all diseases, and even the elements, obeyed him with the instant submission of menial dependents. The centurion had doubtless heard that, by the command of Christ, given at a distance, the son of a noble

man at Capernaum was restored to health; and he doubted not that he had power to produce, in the same way, a similar effect upon his servant. Hence he confidently expresses his belief, that Jesus exercised the same power over the maladies of men, which he himself did over the soldiers under his command: "For," says he, "even 1, who am a man under authority, have soldiers under myself; and I say to one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it."

A late writer observes, that "our Lord appears to have had, from the beginning, a perfect knowledge of the great events which in after times should befal him; and his death, his resurrection, the rejection of the Jews, and the converson of the gentiles, were so frequent in his mind, so familiar to his thoughts, that the slightest circumstance, calculated to revive the idea of them, instantly brought them, to his recollection. Here we meet with a remarkable instance of this fact.

"A heathen, in terms the most decisive, expressing his faith in him, while Israel, to

whom he came as his own, to whom he offered salvation as their expected Saviour, rejected and persecuted him, directs his attention to the time when multitudes among the heathen would embrace him; while his countrymen, by their obstinacy and guilt, would be deprived of their high hopes and privileges; and in the midst of the subject, he introduces a prophecy respecting it."

Our Lord not only admitted the centurion's request, but honored him with his unerring and distinguished approbation. "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 I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”

The kingdom of heaven is represented in this and other texts of scripture, under the figure of a sumptuous entertainment, where

the guests sit down with the master of the

feast.

These entertainments were usually made at night, and continued to a late hour. The place for the reception of the guests was illuminated in a splendid manner; while those who were denied entrance, were in outer darkness, or the darkness without, where they not only suffered disgrace, but were exposed to cold and hunger. Therefore it is said, "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The prediction of our Lord displays a striking contrast to the opinions of the Jews, who used to say, that "all Israel shall have a part in the world to come, but the heathen shall be fuel for hell-fire."

Our Lord, after applauding the centurion's faith, grants his request; and the persons who had been deputed to address him on this subject found, to their great astonishment, that the servant was restored to perfect health.

The interesting history of the Roman centurion affords a striking instance of our Saviour's divine power, which enabled him to restore the sick servant to health, by only speaking a word at a distance, and without so much as seeing him.

This narrative also exhibits, in the character of the centurion, an illustrious example of eminent Christian virtues. He gave proof of his humanity, in the solicitude he evinced for the recovery of his servant's health. And this is the more remarkable, and honourable to the centurion, because the Roman servants experienced very different treatment from their masters. These servants were almost all of them slaves, and were too commonly used with extreme rigour and cruelty. They were often constrained to labor beyond their strength, confined in loathsome dungeons, loaded with chains, and tortured; they were often deserted in sickness and old age, and put to death for trivial faults and slight suspicions. Such conduct forms a striking contrast to the kindness and compassion of the good centurion.

The piety and generosity of the centurion were also displayed in his conduct toward the Jews, in building a synagogue for them at his own expense. Their country was a Roman province; and those who are acquainted with the Roman history know well, with what cru