THE FOURTH MIRACLE,

Jairus's daughter restored to life; and a woman cured by the way, as Jesus went to her, that had had an issue of blood twelve years.

MARK V. 21-23.

And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: as he was nigh unto the sea. And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, and besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death : I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live, &c.

WHEN our Saviour was come back from the unworthy and ungrateful Gadarenes, no sooner was he landed, but the glad people, who were waiting for hima, flocked about him, rejoicing at his return, whose absence, though but for a little while, seemed tedious to those who stood in need of his help.

And the first that addressed to him was one Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, or consistory, of Capernaum, or that court which was established there, as in other cities, to take cognizance of things relating to God's worship and the observance of the law.

This man had one only daughter, who lay at the point of death, and therefore as soon as he heard

a Luke viii. 40.

that Jesus was returned, he hastened to him, and when he saw him fell at his feet with the greatest veneration, and told him his sad case, and earnestly besought him to come and lay his hands on her, that she might be healed and live.

All his hopes now were in our Lord's power and godness; his child was given over by every body else, and just ready to expire; and therefore he flies to Jesus as his last refuge, assuredly believing that she would yet recover, if he would be pleased to touch her with his all-healing hands.

To this request, made in so moving a manner, Jesus hearkened with so much tenderness, as without keeping the sad father in the torment of suspense, presently to go along with him; whose fears were now turned into joy, since Jesus had vouchsafed to undertake his daughter's cure; and on he went, mightily pleased and satisfied, " in sure " and certain hope."

And as they were going, in the midst of a great throng of people who were crowding and pressing to have a sight of that wondrous person, whose miracles were so much talked of in those parts; there was a woman who had a violent flux of blood upon her for twelve years, and having tried all that art could do for her, but to no purpose, for though she had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had among them, yet she was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, and hearing such strange things told of Jesus, and what wonderful cures he had wrought, she was mighty desirous to apply herself to him; but being discouraged, as it is probable, by the uncleanness of her distemper, which she was ashamed to acquaint

him with before so much people, she resolved to try a new experiment, and verily believed, that if she could but touch his clothes she should be healed. And accordingly she made her way to him, and privately touched the hem of his garment; and with surprising joy immediately she found that her flux ceased, and that she was perfectly cured.

How unusual, and without precedent, and one would have thought without all ground too, was this woman's undertaking! And what sport would her physicians have made with her, had they known of her design! ridiculing her ignorance and foolish bigotry, in expecting more relief from the touch of Jesus's clothes, than they in so long time, with all their skill, could give her.

But her belief in our Lord's healing power being so strong and lively, and nothing but her modesty hindering her from going openly to beg his help; he thought fit to give this extraordinary expression of her faith as extraordinary success.

For indeed it was her faith, as Jesus told her afterwards, that obtained her cure, not the bare touch of his garment, which many others in that throng had touched as well as she, without perceiving any such virtue in them. And afterwards, when, as we read in the next chapter to this, the people laid their sick in his way, and besought him, probably upon the example of this woman, that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment; and as many as touched it were made whole © ; it was theirs, or their friends' faith, that made that touch so healing to them.

And so it is still in our conversing with things

Matt. ix. 20.

c Mark vi. ult.

sacred, and performing any of the offices of religion; it is not the bare performance that will make them beneficial to us, but the affections with which we do them: it is not the being near to Christ in his ordinances, that divine and only successful Physician of our souls; frequenting the places of his more especial presence, and joining in his worship, and hearing his instructions, that will be sufficient to cleanse us from our spiritual pollutions; unless it be done with sincere piety and devotion, heavenly desires, and a lively faith.

Even that great duty of the sacrament of the Lord's supper, whereby the faithful draw nearest of all to Christ, and not only touch his garments, but feed upon his divine body, and drink his precious blood; and so become one with him, and he with them; even this most holy and beneficial duty will do us no more good than eating a piece of common bread, or drinking a glass of ordinary wine, unless it is rendered effectual by a firm faith, sincere repentance, and undissembled love.

It is such affections as these that must draw out the purifying, healing virtue of the institutions of Jesus, and make our acts of religion acceptable, and attended with a blessing.

As faith without works is dead, so are works without faith; even such a faith as makes the man heavenly minded, purifieth his heart, reforms his life, and worketh by love; such a faith as entirely depends upon the saving virtue of Christ's blood, but so as to perform sincerely the conditions which he hath been pleased to make indispensably necessary on our part, in order to our partaking of the merits of it.

Without such a faith, and such affections as these, all our religious performances will be but as so many empty, insignificant formalities; which, though repeated to eternity, would be as far from bringing down the blessed healing influences of Jesus upon our souls, as a man's bare viewing, and handling, and talking of the virtues of an excellent medicine, would be from curing his distempered body.

But this poor woman, who had thus stolen a cure, as she thought, and was retired a little into the crowd to avoid discovery, as privately as she carried the matter, could not be concealed from the allseeing Jesus. And as he, who sees the inmost desires of a pious breast, and never sends the most secret prayer of faith away without a blessing; as he knew what she had done, and what of his mercy she had received, and that such virtue was gone out of him as had amply rewarded her faith; so, designing to improve what had passed to other excellent purposes, he turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched me? An odd question, the disciples thought, to be asked by one who was in the midst of a crowd, and thronged on every side; and they said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? But the woman knew his meaning, and, seeing him looking round about for her, she came fearing and trembling, lest he should be angry at her boldness, in presuming thus to touch him, polluted as she was, and take that blessing away from her again which she thus got by stealth; and falling down before him, as to a person of divine power and knowledge, in the hearing of those that were about