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words: "Our light affliction, effect without a visible cause?" which is but for a moment, work- Ah! could the disconsolate beeth for us a far more exceeding liever have his eyes opened, like and eternal weight of glory." To the young man who accompanied the same purport, too, is the lan- Elisha, he would perhaps see wonguage of Peter: "For a season," ders. He might possibly descry says he, "if need be, ye are in hea- the charioteers and horsemen of viness through manifold tempta- the prince of darkness, and hear tions, that the trial of your faith, their leader crying, "To arms! to being much more precious than of arms! I will pursue! I will overgold that perisheth, though it be take! My hand shall destroy!” tried with fire, might be found unto But though the great calumniator praise, and honour, and glory, at would thus destroy all usefulness the appearing of Jesus Christ."--if he could, every good man may 1 Pet. i. 6, 7.

it

self says,
alted above measure, through the
abundance of the revelations, there
was given to me a thorn in the flesh,
the messenger of Satan to buffet
me, lest I should be exalted above
measure." 2 Cor. xii. 7.

boldly say, "The Lord is my helper ;" and knowing that he relies on a Divine Saviour, whom the angels obey, he may exclaim, with a joyful expectation of deliverance, "There are more for us than there are against us.”

In another point of comparison, may be said, that he who is the most tried is he whom God designs to make the most useful; and, in some cases, trials are the necessary companions of gifts, in order to secure the usefulness of their pos- In such a man's case, therefore, sessor. For so tenacious is pride the history of Joseph speaks voof its old habitation, that even the lumes. Whose character ever usefulness of Paul was in danger stood fairer than his in the sight of from "visions and revelations of God? and yet how peculiarly trythe Lord." Thus the Apostle him- ing was the unjust reproach that "Lest I should be ex-seemed to have irretrievably ruined it! Thus the best young man in Egypt was imprisoned and calumniated as one of the worst, and, as far as the justification of his character was concerned, Providence seemed as silent as death. But perhaps some one may say, But to all the Christian's trials there "None of these cases apply to me. are prescribed limits. "God is I am conscious of integrity in the faithful," says Paul, "and will sight of God; but there is a gene-not suffer you to be tempted (or ration whose teeth are as swords, tried) above that ye are able, but and their jaw-teeth as knives; and will with the temptation (or trial) from unmerited reproach my usemake a way to escape, that ye may fulness is ruined." If, however, be able to bear it." 1 Cor. x. 13. the Christian is really suffering When Joseph's trial, therefore, had wrongfully, let him not despond. reached the line of demarcation, it His case is in good hands; and the was impossible for all the host of main points he has to attend to, rebel angels to perpetuate the reare to preserve his integrity, and proach. For, lo! when all the into commit his cause to Him that habitants of the earth would have judgeth righteously. "But why," been unequal to the task of vindisays he, "are these attacks so cating Joseph, a Friend appears, simultaneous without concert, and before whom the millions of manwhy is there so conspicuous an kind are but as grasshoppers. Be

fore such a vindicator, suffering innocence was at once redressed; and all intelligent beings who had heard the reproach, were for ever convinced of its fallacy and injustice.

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fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat; the flocks shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Hab. iii. 17, 18.

An abundant compensation, too, awaits the suffering Christian. Thus as Joseph had suffered in his Let the believer, then, imitate character, that was the point in the importunity of Jacob in supwhich God was afterwards pleased plications, and the firmness of remarkably to favour him: and Daniel in the worship of his God. thus was he "made glad accord-In these days of light and liberty, ing to the days wherein he had we are not called to face death as been afflicted, and the years where- Daniel was; but if days of marin he had seen evil." Then, ac-tyrdom were to return, they would cording to his prophetic dream, he make sad confusion among us, if saw "eleven stars doing obeisance we do not even now cultivate a to him" (Gen. xxxvii. 9.); and the martyr's spirit. "He that will be Egyptians themselves exclaimed to my disciple," says the Saviour, the crowds before him, "Bow the "must take up his cross and folknee! bow the knee!" Yea, fo-low me." In this way, Christians reign nations came from afar, and of every denomination may, with did honour to him who was so well holy confidence, expect in minor prepared to receive it, by regard-trials the presence of Him who ing it, not as the mere breath of cheered martyrs, amidst devouring mortals, but as a peculiar gift of flames and the scoffs of their eneGod. mies.

Such then being the aspect of In all cases, then, the faithful the Christian's trials, he may re- followers of the Lamb may boldly joice in tribulation. Thus when say, "God is our refuge and God said to Paul," My grace is strength, a very present help in sufficient for thee," it was enough. trouble. Therefore will not we "Therefore," says Paul, "I take fear, though the earth be removed, pleasure in (sinless) infirmities, in and though the mountains be carreproaches, in necessities, in per-ried into the midst of the sea.” secutions, in distresses, for Christ's Ps. xlvi. 1, 2. sake; for when I am weak, then

HORA EVANGELICA.

(Continued from p. 13.)

J. F.

THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW.
No. II. Chap. xi. 2—6.

am I strong." 2 Cor. xii. 10. Thus Stratford, Essex. also other Apostles of Christ" departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. "? Acts v. 41. Nor are there any reasons why Christians of the present day should not have the same confidence in God" Now when John had heard in the as ancient Christians had. Under prison the works of Christ, he sent the solace afforded by the Gospel, the Christian may say with holy boldness, "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall

two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them,

Go and shew John again those ye do hear and see;" which imthings which ye do hear and see: plies that they had previously inthe blind receive their sight, and formed him respecting those mirathe lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."

culous works performed by Jesus. Now this is precisely what St. Luke relates. While St. Matthew is content with stating generally, that "John had heard in the prison the works of Christ,” without mentionOur Lord, in reply to this in- ing the bearers of these reports to quiry of the Baptist, appeals to the holy man; St. Luke, having the knowledge which the two dis-related the miraculous resurrection ciples possessed of the stupendous of the widow's son, and the effect miracles he wrought in attestation which this stupendous event proof his divine mission. It is not, duced on the minds of the people, however, immediately apparent, expressly affirms, that "the diswhether he refers to their previous ciples of John shewed him of all opportunities of acquiring such a these things." (Luke vii. 18.) knowledge, or to some present That these coincidences are as display of his divine power; though undesigned as they are minute and from the use of the present tense, striking, will be apparent, we imathe latter appears the more pro- gine, from the slightest inspection bable." Go and shew John again of the accounts of the two Evanthose things which YE DO HEAR gelists. The different connection and SEE" (άKOVεte i Bλétete). Ac-in which the relation is introduced, cordingly, St. Luke informs us, and the variations in the language that "in the same hour (in which and in the number and choice of they were sent) he cured many of circumstances, totally preclude the their infirmities and plagues, and slightest suspicion that either of of evil spirits; and unto many that the sacred writers borrowed from were blind he gave sight." (Luke each other, or wrote in concert, vii. 21.) Here St. Luke says no- and must lead to the conclusion, thing of the dead being raised; that they wrote from their own but this is fully accounted for, and knowledge of the fact which they amply compensated, by his plac-lay before us. Further, St. Luke, ing this transaction immediately had he seen St. Matthew's Gospel, after the raising of the widow's son

at Nain (Luke vii. 11—19.); an all suspicion of design, by the circumstance event to which our Lord doubtless that the word "again" is united with, or alluded, and with which the dis- implied in, the verb "shew;" anayyéinate, ciples of John were well acquaint-"shew again," being composed of wò, ed, as will presently appear from from, by, back, again, &c. (as in arodídat, another minute coincidence be- and ayyλλw, to tell, shew. to give back, render, àmonalínu, to restore,) That this is the tween these Evangelists. St. Mat- real meaning of the word in this passage, thew, in reporting the reply of our appears not only from the circumstance adSaviour to the inquiry of the Bap- also from its being rendered in the Vulgate, duced above, and from its etymology, but tist, says, that "Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John AGAIN* those things which

This coincidence is rendered the more remarkable, and the further removed from

Beza, and Montanus by renunciate, and "shew again," by our own venerable translators. To render this perfectly intelligible to the mere English reader, it will only be necessary to observe, that it is precisely the same as if we should employ for the words shew, or tell again, the compounds re-shew, re-tell.

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He

soul is well pleased: I will put my
spirit upon him, and he shall shew
judgment to the Gentiles.
shall not strive nor cry; neither
shall any man hear his voice in the
streets.

A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he bring forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust."

could never have inferred from his statement of the reply of Jesus, "Go and shew John again those things which do hear and see,' ye that those miraculous works were actually being performed when the messengers of John arrived, and that they had been sent in consequence of their having previously informed their master of the miracles of Jesus; nor can it be sup- The first circumstance in this posed, if St. Matthew had copied passage to which the reader's atfrom the account of St. Luke, tention is solicited, is that of our which is in the highest degree Lord charging the multitude whom improbable, that he would have he had healed not to make him been content with barely alluding known. His reason for thus ento these important circumstances. joining secresy upon them is usually They were doubtless present, not attributed to his desire that the to his eye, but to his mind; and he Pharisees, who had consulted to would perhaps tacitly conclude, as destroy him, might not know where is frequently the case, that his he was. But their silence could reader was as well acquainted with not have availed in effecting this them as himself. In fact, there is purpose, while the multitudes connot the slightest appearance of tinued to follow him to be healed either of the relations being a of their diseases; thus effectually copy; they bear the very impress pointing out the spot where he was of original composition, and nei- to be found. Accordingly, we ther art nor design appears in the find, that the very next miracle remarkable coincidences between which he is recorded to have perthem. Hence it may with cer- formed-the healing of a man tainty be inferred, that the transac-"possessed with a devil, blind and tion, in the relation of which they dumb"-the PHARISEES ascribed agree in so minute and undesigned it to the agency of Beelzebub. a manner, was a real fact, and (ver. 27.) Others suppose that he took place precisely in the man-charged them not to make it known ner, and attended with all the miraculous events which they have narrated.

No. III.-Chap. xii. 14-21.

that he was the MESSIAH, lest a tumult should be excited; but it does not appear, how the persons who were healed should possess a superior knowledge of his cha"Then the Pharisees went out,racter to that which might be posand held a council against him, sessed by those who were merely how they might destroy him. But spectators of his miraculous works. when Jesus knew it, he withdrew By a reference, however, to the himself from them and great mul-parallel passage in the Gospel of titudes followed him, and he healed them all, and charged them that they should not make him known; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Behold my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my

St. Mark, the whole becomes clear and consistent.-"For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried,

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saying, Thou art the Son of God! | St. Matthew, how our Lord's withAnd he strictly charged them that drawing himself from the Pharithey should not make him known." sees accomplished that part of the (Mark iii. 10-12.) Our Lord, prophecy which declares "he shall then, imposed silence, not upon the shew judgment to the Gentiles, diseased persons, but upon the evil and in his name shall the Gentiles spirits, because he would not re-trust.' If we turn, however, to ceive the testimony of the father St. Mark, this becomes immediof lies. His kingdom was to be ately apparent. From him we established, not by such testimony learn, that when the Pharisees as theirs, but bythe quiet submission held a council with the Herodians of the human understanding to the to destroy him, he receded from silent, but resistless evidence of them, with his disciples, to the sea his doctrine and miracles, and his of Galilee; "and a great multiblameless submission to the will of tude from Galilee followed him, his Father. This perfectly accords and from Judea, and from Jerusawith the brief statement of St. Mat-lem, and from Idumea, and from thew, which no one will pretend beyond Jordan; and they about was taken from it. But observe Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, how this correspondence is effect- when they heard what great things ed: not by a transcript of that he did, came unto him." narrative, but by the introduction teaching them, therefore, and by of a new circumstance; which, performing his miracles of mercy though perhaps implied in the ac-upon and before them, "he shewed count of St. Matthew, could not judgment to the Gentiles;" and, have been derived from it, and doubtless, "in his name" which it would have answered no purpose of forgery thus to introduce.

By

did

many of these "Gentiles trust." Here, then, is a perfect correspondence, but obviously without the smallest art or design.

In one

Another particular which demands consideration in this pas-writer we have the prophecy, but sage is, the fulfilment of the pro- no detail of the circumstances by phecy quoted from Isaiah. We which it was fulfilled: in the other may easily perceive how beauti-writer, we are furnished with the fully one part of the prophecy was exact accomplishment of that proaccomplished by the gentle, lowly, phecy, but not a syllable of the compassionate, condescending, and prophecy itself. If one writer had beneficent nature of Christ's mira-copied from the other, or if an cles and personal ministry, devoid impostor had designed to effect a of all ostentation and severity; eorrespondence, that correspondby his perseverance in the midst of ence would certainly have been opposition, without engaging in more obvious, and there would contentious disputations; and by have been some allusion to that his continuing, notwithstanding the with which it was intended to corrage of the infuriated Pharisees, to respond. Truth alone, we conheal all who came to him, and to ceive, can account for coincidences instruct all who were disposed to so latent, and yet so perfect, as hear, whatever might have been these unquestionably are. their former character, and however weak and imperfect their faith might still remain. But it does not appear, from the account of murder of John the Baptist,) he

No. IV. Chap. xiv. 13, 14. "When Jesus heard of it, (the

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