man's child at a single instant of time, it is natural to conclude that the centurion had been apprized of this wonderful fact, and from thence had drawn inferences applicable to his own circumstances. This hypothefis is further confirmed by the centurion's manner of reasoning in his address to Jefus. " Lord, (faid this believing offi“ cer) I am unworthy that thou shouldst come " under my roof; but SPEAK THE WORD ONLY, " and my fervant shall be healed."-" For if I, who ' only perfonate a subordinate character in the army, can procure an exact obedience to my ' commands, by the means of intermediate fervants, and without my personal appearance to ' enforce my orders; how can I poffibly doubt ' of the sovereignty of YOUR WORD, who spake ' the nobleman's fon into health, with the intervention of the distance of Cana from Caper' naum?" I say, it is very likely that the Centurion had deduced this method of argument from his previous knowledge of the restoration of the nobleman's fon; for otherwise it is reasonable to suppose, that he would have adopted the exprefsion of the nobleman, "Sir, come down ere my "servant die." Whereas the centurion's request was not couched in words importing the NECESSITY of our Lord's PRESENCE, but carried a far stronger and more emphatical confidence in the the sufficiency of the power of our Saviour. " Lord, I am unworthy that thou shouldst come " under my roof; but speak the word only, and

my fervant shall be healed." Jesus most graciously complied with his petition, and enhanced the favour of the benefit by his commendation of the centurion's trust and affiance. " When "Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and faid unto them " which followed, verily I say unto you, I have " not found so great faith, no not in ISRAEL!"

The third miracle which follows in the order of this chapter, is the sudden recovery of the mother of Simon Peter's wife. It is said that she was confined to her bed by a fever; our Lord reached out his all-healing hand, and immediately reinstated her in her former health. We know very well, that when, through a kind providence, we are raised from a bed of fickness, we are nevertheless so enervated by the violence of the disease, that time, tenderness, and a further pursuit of medicine, are often necessary to conciliate strength and spirits to our shattered systems. But when Jesus removed the matron's fever, he restored her at the same instant to a plenitude of strength; for in the fame verse she is represented as capable of doing the offices of gratitude and friendship to her divine guest. " And she arose and ministered unto them."

I now proceed to the fourth miracle mentioned in this chapter; the incidents of which story were productive of the petition which constitutes my

text.

" And when he was entered into a ship, his " disciples followed him; and behold there arose " a great tempeft in the fea, infomuch that the ship " was covered with the waves; but he was asleep. " And his difciples came to him, and awoke him, " faying, Lord! fave us: we perish. And he " faith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye " of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the "winds and the fea, and there was a calm." The confequence of which miracle was a strange animadverfion of the disciples upon it. " But the " men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is " this, that even the winds and the fea obey " him?"

These very men, who express so great a degree of furprize at our Lord's commands relative to the tempestuous deep, had (as it may reasonably be prefumed) been witnesses to the several miracles I have enumerated. They had feen the leper cured of his cutaneous deformity; or, in the scriptural phrafe, " that his flesh came again, like unto "the flesh of a little child, and that he was " clean *." They had been satisfactorily ap

prized of the miraculous recovery of the centurion's servant; and had been favoured with ocular proofs of the sudden restoration of the mother of one of the disciples wives-Whence proceeded then this confternation and exclamatory expression of wonder at the fovereignty of Jesus over the turbulent elements ?

Now it is necessary to observe here, that in all the prior miracles of our Saviour, his disciples were not perfonally interested, as to their own immediate health and security. And it is likewise worthy of notice, that the miracle which Jesus wrought for their safety was entirely new; or, in other words, was such an astonishing display of power as our Lord had never exerted before. They had feen a leprosy altogether removed by the touch of their Divine Master. They had known repeated instances of the cure of fevers effected by his gracious interpofition in behalf of the diseased. But to filence, by a single command from his mouth, the raging of the winds, and the fury of the waves, implied such a degree of sovereignty as quite furpassed all former manifestations, and therefore gave a violent concuffion to their faith. It is only from the extremity of their danger, and this unprecedented example of our Lord's power, that we can deduce this failure of their confidence in

our blessed Saviour. And, however fuperior they might

VOL. II.

G

might be at that period to the rest of mankind, as touching the main and principal parts of their character; yet in some particular instances their conduct was very deficient, and such as frequently betrayed the usual infirmities of human nature.

How often were they reproved by Jesus for their want of moderation, candour, and charity*! and HOW VERY OFTEN for their want of † faith! Perhaps they could hardly have exhibited a stronger proof of their defective faith, than upon the present occafion. For their master was at that juncture in the same ship with them, and equally exposed to the dangers of the tempeft. Could they possibly imagine that he was fufceptible of injury from the storm? or, that if he was able to extricate himself from the perils thereof, yet that he was incapable of fufficiently providing for their safety?-But it is said, that he lay afleep upon a pillow in the stern of the ship 1. Was the guilt of their distrust alleviated by this circumstance of their master's repose? Could they prevail with themselves to believe, that the slumbers of humanity could fupprefs the authority and might of his divine nature? Nevertheless, from St. Mark's words, and from the reprehenfion of their