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SERMON XII.

MARK V. 43.-" When she heard of Jesus, she came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may but touch his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague."

HERE we have a striking example of the power of faith, and of the blessings which, throughout his ministry upon earth, as well as since his ascension into heaven, our Lord bestows upon it. The form, indeed, in which this realizing of the things unseen exhibits itself is varied in every possible way, and with every diversity of circumstances which men's wants and tem

pers admit! But the thing abideth the same, and wherever the living principle is found that unites the soul to Christ, fainter or stronger as it may be, there, immediately and invariably, we find the gracious and powerful fruits of it to follow.

It is so with the poor trembling woman who has thus a place in the glorious company of those who are held forth as examples in the gospel unto the world's end. She had been afflicted by a grievous disease for many years. She had had recourse to many physicians, but the art of man could devise no cure. The overflowing

fountain of her blood remained unstaunched. Of a sudden she hears of the glorious cures and holy character of Jesus. Her heart leaps forth to embrace this new hope! With all her infirmities about her, weak, perhaps, and hardly able to stand, she mingles among the multitudes who are accompanying their Saviour in his way to heal the ruler's daughter. She comes timidly behind and reaches out her hand

in order to touch Him,-yet not Him, but his garment, anything that belonged to Him! For she felt assured that, could she but reach the outermost hem of his vesture, it would cure her of her plague.

But except that we are certain of her vivid, confident faith in the power, and sanctity, and divine character of the Lord, we cannot tell exactly what her feelings and thoughts were! Why did she act exactly as she did? Why did she come behind Him? Why did she not address a prayer to Him? Why did she shrink from view? It It might have been that she dreaded to expose either to men's eyes or ears the grievous plague from which she suffered! It might have been that, along with her faith, there was a spirit of modesty and humility about her which had a sort of horror of directly encountering the eye of the Holy One, from the outgoing of whose overflowing power she confidently anticipated her cure.

It might be that her trust was more

strong than distinct, touching our Lord's person, and the healing energy that went forth out of Him! She looked upon Him, earthly body and all, as a vessel of glorious gifts, brimful of mercies and miraculous activities, out of which spontaneous virtue issued to all who could approach it, as naturally as the power of a healing spring diffuses itself through those who taste of it. She would almost seem to have forgotten that our Lord was a person, and not merely an instrument of healing. That He had a will and knowledge, and restrained or sent forth, at his own pleasure, the mercy to body and soul that was treasured up in Him! The one thought that possessed her soul was, how to get near Him and to come in contact with the vehicle of healing. How she must have trembled with joy and expectation when she drew nigh enough and put forth her eager hand! And she was not disappointed. There shot through her diseased flesh, in an instant, a stream of sensible power, gushing

out from Him! In a moment she felt a change! She was conscious that she was made whole.

But in one respect she was wrong! She fancied that she had stolen the blessing, that she had escaped observation! She was hastening away, treasuring up in her own bosom the secret of her marvellous success! But whilst the All-merciful had permitted the forces of healing to go out of Him, the All-seeing had beheld her. He had not only traced her step by step in the crowd, but He had seen her inmost thoughts long before, and discerned the secrets of the heart. But He must be recognised by her, not as a fountain of magical virtue, but as a voluntary healer, prescribing his own conditions, and showing mercy and compassion upon them that believe. Neither must she be afraid to testify, before the eyes of the multitude, to the mercies which she had received.

And so it was! For Jesus, we are told, immediately knowing within himself that