then may you adopt that pleasing expectation which the apostle holds forth; (1 Thess. iv. 13, 14.) "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep; that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."

The apostle would not have been commissioned to bid us not to sorrow as persons quite hopeless, if we were never more to behold our virtuous friends in whom we delighted: for then they would be wholly lost to us. But his bidding us to hope, is allowing us to cherish the grateful thought of seeing them again.

And, indeed, the reason of the thing, and many pleasing intimations dispersed throughout the New Testament, especially in the epistles of St. Paul, authorize us to entertain an undoubting persuasion, that the holy and the good, the approved of God, under every dispensation of religion, shall not only meet again in that future world, but shall retain their knowledge of each other, and virtuous friendships be renewed; though on no such partial confined plan as necessarily takes place here.

What

What instruction such an assured expectation after death suggests concerning the friendships we contract in this world, and what caution it dictates to avoid all intimate connexions, except with the virtuous and the worthy, I cannot stay now to relate.

III.

Concerning this person here restored to life by our Lord, we are not told what became of him afterwards, or what part he acted in life: nothing whatsoever is said of him. Some, who have endeavoured to bring into discredit our Saviour's miracles, have blamed this utter silence in this and some similar instances, though without cause; whilst others have too eagerly wished to have been told more.

But large volumes must have been composed to satisfy such persons. And surely there was much wisdom as well as goodness, in books written for the use of all, but chiefly of the poor and unlearned, whose numbers are by far the greatest; to bring the whole of such a momentous event, containing such a variety of facts and instruction, and in which such a vast number of persons were concerned, into as short a compass as might be. And this is ef

fected

fected in the gospel-history by the four evangelists, and in St. Luke's continuation of his history called The Acts, in such a way that the most learned cannot enough admire their fullness, while the less learned may easily comprehend and retain what is delivered.

It is, moreover, always to be attended to upon this argument, that the sacred books of the New Testament were not written to gratify our curiosity about persons, or things, or opinions, which we might have wished to be more clearly informed about; but barely to relate the history of Christ, as the promised prophet and great teacher, and Saviour of the world; and to let us into the success and progress of his gospel in such a plain convincing manner, as to induce all men to become his disciples. As St. John expresses it, to the persons for whom he immediately penned his book of the gospel; (xx. 31.) "These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that, believing, ye might have life through his name."

This young man may have been a valuable character; and though not distinguished for abilities or rank, (of which, however, we know nothing one way or the other,) may have borne

a private useful testimony to the truth, by a modest acknowledgement and recital, on all proper occasions, of the miracle wrought for him, and by satisfying serious inquisitive petsons of the reality of it.

And in like sort, other men and women who were miraculously healed of various diseases by our Lord, though we hear no more of them, might, and most probably in their several stations did, help forward and assist in promoting the gospel, by preparing those among their friends and acquaintance who were thoughtful and serious, to believe it, and receive those who afterwards preached it to them.

And although their names are not celebrated or recorded in the annals of history, yet their record is on high; and their good deeds to the gospel of Christ, to propagate piety and virtue, are known to God, and put down in "the book of remembrance (as the prophet Malachi speaks, iii. 16.) written before him, for them that (in trying times) feared the Lord and thought upon his name."

Be it our labour and study so to lead holy lives, that our names may be found written in this book of God, and then it is of no con

cernment

cernment to us how little mankind know, or how much they who may know us misjudge of us; nor how soon the memory of us may be wiped away and forgotten among them.

IV.

We are not told the age of this youth whom our Lord called back into existence. He seems, however, to be very young by our Lord's delivering him to his mother, and from other circumstances.

It is gathered from exact calculations of the number of births and burials, that one half of those who are born into the world die under twelve years old.

This is a powerful and awakening consideration to parents, if they have any real affection for their offspring, to begin to instil into them the love and fear of the great God that made them, and the knowledge of his mercy and goodness manifested by Jesus Christ, as soon as their lit tle understandings dawn to perceive it, and their hearts are capable of becoming impressed with it. And this is at a much earlier period than many will imagine who have never tried them: though there will be always a considerable difference of capacities and dis

positions,