written down in the book of life, as of the number of those women that "received their dead raised to life again "."

2

And what is that sad assemblage? What that troop of mourners, issuing from the gate of the city of Nain? Doubtless the "silver cord is loosed, and the golden bowl broken." Surely some one "goeth to his long home," or "the mourners" would not "go about the streets." Even so! behold "there is a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she a widow, and much people of the city with her." And it came to pass that on that day the Lord Jesus was on his way, going " about doing good," to the city of Nain. "And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. and began to speak. mother "." The widow woman's sorrow was a fit object for His wondrous power, who was, and is, “the resurrection and the life." And so, He did her good, and restored the light of her eyes, even her son, to life, and "caused the widow's heart to sing for joy 5"

And he that was dead sat up,
And he delivered him to his

Now all this, Christian brethren, will serve to prove what I started by observing, the merciful kind

2 Heb. xi. 35.

* Luke vii. 11–15.

3 Eccles. xii. 5.

Job xxix. 13.

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ness of the Almighty towards the widow. It moreover speaks unto each one of us, saying, "Go, and do thou likewise." It is indeed meet, right, and our bounden duty, to "relieve" the widow, to "plead" for her, to let her "cause come" before us, to help her to right when she suffers wrong. Whereas they that have oppressed her lone estate, "and refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear "," must bear their iniquity. It is but one step from “ devouring widows' houses" when we let others harm them. That evil must be eschewed, and personally we must do them good. "Let thy widows trust in me"," saith the Lord God, and He will be their helper and defender. He will raise up them that shall do them good, as He did Cyrus of old. In one word, He hath thus instructed us by St. James his servant; "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world 8"

Now altogether conformable with these observations is the incident recorded in the text, and repeated, nearly in the same words, by St. Luke'. The lone widow and her want,-in every thing but charity, is still the object of our Saviour's tender regard.

The Jews' custom was, before their prayers, whe

6 Zech. vii. 11.

8 James i. 27.

7 Jer. xlix. 11.

9 Luke xxi. 1-4.

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ther in the temple, or their synagogues, "to give something by way of alms or offering, that charity and piety might go together." The beautiful incident with which the text is concerned relates to the temple, wherein were divers treasure chests (thirteen in number) called "Shopheroth," which, together with the three treasure chambers, or " Lisacoth," were denominated by the general term " Corban." Into these the offerings were cast both for the poor, and for the uses of the temple. Two of the treasure-chests above mentioned were in use but for a certain time during each year, eighteen or twenty days before the passover," when the half-shekel was collected, which every Israelite was to pay for the redemption of his soul or life "." The other eleven were of "constant and continual use, and stood in their places all the year long, and upon every one of them was written what use and employment they were put unto." Their places were in the "court of the women," or, as it is elsewhere called the " New," or the "utter," or "outer, Court";" called by St. John, "the treasury;" the "Gazophylacia, or Treasuries, that Josephus saith, the Cloisters were before." Accordingly, the text declares that "Jesus sat over

1 The substance of these observations will be found in Lightfoot, vol. i. p. 256, and in pp. 1090-1097, wherein he treats of "The Court of the Women," and the " Gazophylacia or Treasuries."

2 Exod. xxx. 13.

4 John viii. 20.

32 Chron. xx, 5; Ezek. xlvi. 21.

against the treasury." For "into the court of Israel the poor widow might not come, and in that court, Christ might not sit, for the Jews had a tradition that none might sit there, but only the kings of the house of David. The full meaning of the passage, therefore, is, that Jesus sitting in the cloister of the court of the Women, saw the people cast money into the chests, according as they were minded to offer for this or that occasion "."

But to return. Behold the Saviour of men,the Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world, -taking pleasure in the offerings of his people! Whether the sums were contributed to the uses of the temple, or the necessities of his Saints, the sacrifice was well pleasing in His sight, at the suggestion of whose Spirit it stands written, "Let all your things be done with charity"."

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Many that were rich cast in much." It was their duty so to do. If they did it not they were not fit worshippers-I mean, their service was incomplete, there was something wanting to shew them Israelites indeed, true sons of those " willinghearted" ones, in days gone by, whose liberality it was necessary to restrain, saying, "The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make "." These wealthy ones the Lord observed as they cast in of

6

* Lightfoot, ut suprà, p. 1096. Commentary on Mark xii. 41. 71 Cor. xvi. 14. Exod. xxxvi. 5.

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their full store, and a great thing was it to be noted of Him "whose eyelids try the children of men." Though they knew it not, as full many know it not now, the eyes of the Lord were upon them for good. No faithful worshipper is unregarded of Him who "understandeth their thoughts long before." No! Rich and poor, one with another, be assured, that "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister "."

But every one's name who doeth good needs not to be bruited abroad, or else matters would come to so low an ebb, and the standard of excellence so reduced, as that men should be praised for merely doing what it was their duty to do. And so, on the present occasion, the rich received no praise,-perhaps, indeed, there were Pharisees amongst them and all deserved it not. Oftentimes when the gifts of the rich come to be sifted, there is more chaff than wheat. "Whiles the rich put in their offerings'," says an old Divine, "I see no disciples called; it was enough that Christ noted their gifts alone; but when the widow comes with her two mites, now the domestics of Christ are summoned to assemble; and taught to admire this munificence; a solemn preface makes way to her praise; and her mites are made

1

9 Heb. vi. 10.

Bp. Hall's Contemplations: "The Widow's Mite,” vol. ii. p. 217, folio.