God's dealings with mankind: they are the means which he uses to bring them to himself. It is thus that his Spirit strives with them; and the Saviour, before final sentence is passed, and the cumberers of the ground are cut down, is represented as saying, Let them hear once more the message of my gospel; let them hear of the ransom which has been paid; let them hear that I am ready to give them pardon for the past, and grace for the time to come, that they may lead a new life, following the commands of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways: let this be again set before them, and if they bear fruit, well; it will be to the glory of God, who is not willing that any should perish; it will be additional fruit of the propitiation which has been made for the sin of the world.

While we gratefully admire "the long-suffering of God, which leadeth to repentance," we must ever bear in mind that there is a last time. If not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. And grievous indeed it is when death becomes a sentence of condemnation, and not a summons to that "rest which remaineth for the people of God." But "there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.' "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord; for they rest from their labours." "The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.'

LECTURE L.

JESUS DEFENDS HIS HEALING ON THE SABBATH DAY. THE PARABLE OF THE LEAVEN.

ACTS xiii. 10-21.

10. And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.

11. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

12. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13. And he laid his hands on her; and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

15. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypoceite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

16. And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

17. And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

The conduct of the ruler of the synagogue might lead us to suppose that an evil thing had been com

mitted, when this woman, who came to find comfort under her affliction in the synagogue, found what she had not expected, a cure. Had he been a man of piety, he would have pointed this out, and encouraged others by the example; he would have said, Let all the congregation acknowledge the blessings which belong to the sanctuary; this poor woman came hither with pain and trouble to herself, because it is the house of prayer, and she returns home loosed from her infirmity. Instead of this, he answered with indignation. Jesus saw into his heart, and shows how prejudice and enmity had blinded his reason. You permit a work of mercy to be done in the case of your labouring cattle; and will you not permit a work of mercy to be done in the case of a fellow-creature, a daughter of Abraham?

Truth and reason do not alone convert the heart, but they are not without their effect; and here the adversaries were ashamed and silenced. Thus, at least, the way is opened for the conviction of others. The people rejoiced for all the glorious things which were done by him.

18. Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?

19. It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. 20. And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?

21. It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

This example of the leaven may be well applied in two senses; it equally describes the progress of

the gospel through the world, and its effect upon the heart. In the former sense, the suitableness of the comparison is easily seen, when we remember what the gospel was at the time when our Lord likened it to a grain of mustard seed, or a handful of leaven; and how, within a few years, it grew mightily and prevailed. The seed became a tree; the leaven was silently diffused, and raised a ferment through the regions of idolatry and superstition.

We will consider it, however, in the other sense, in its effect upon the heart; for there too the principles of the gospel are like leaven. Leaven changes the qualities of the meal with which it is mixed, and renders it serviceable and wholesome for the use of man: so faith in Christ Jesus, when hid within the heart, converts it to the service and fits it for the purposes of God, and makes its various qualities, its hopes and fears, its wishes and desires, entirely different from what, without that leaven, they would prove.

Even the operation of the leaven, and the operation of the principles of the gospel, have a resemblance; both work silently, gradually, incomprehensibly.

Perhaps, at first, the leaven put into the heart was no more than a single thought, no more than thisI am here in a transitory state of being: every day I am reminded, by something which takes place among my neighbours, how uncertain my stay here is. And what will be the end? What shall it profit me if I gain the whole world, and lose my own soul? Such a thought as this may prove, under God's blessing, the first introduction of the leaven.

Another truth succeeds to this; "It is appointed unto all men once to die, and after that the judgment." "For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, to receive according to the things done in the body, whether they be good or bad.” Then the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.” When the heart receives a thorough belief and conviction of this, another step has been gained in the operation of the leaven.

The next thought may be of this kind: "The Son of man shall come in his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations;" and at that time I shall appear among the rest. But "who shall abide his coming?" How many thoughts, and words, and deeds, which are contrary to the law of God, and which I cannot excuse or wipe away, will rise up against me in the judgment? Who shall reconcile us to God, and take away his just displeasure against sin?

When thoughts like these arise in the mind, it is a sign that the leaven is working. Things future are so far realised, that we begin to prepare and provide against them. A person may know that he is in debt beyond the means of payment, and yet may continue much at ease, as long as the day of reckoning is uncertain, and at a distance. But when he looks closely into his affairs, and sees that he must be prepared with a certain sum against a certain day, and knows that he cannot raise that sum, then the friend who should step in and say, I have satisfied your creditor, trust to me for the payment, he would indeed be a welcome friend.