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ment of our peace was laid upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed. (Isa. liii. 5.) If you look in the margin of your Bible you will see the word translated "stripes" is in the Hebrew "bruise;" so that " He was bruised, and with His bruise we are healed." This takes away all the guilt of those who trust in Him. But we want life, new life. Whose work, Mary, is this?

Mary. The work of the Holy Spirit, papa. In that same Psalm, David prays, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Ps. li. 10.)

Mamma. And Jesus, too, was anointed with the Holy Ghost, for His gracious work, as our good Physician. Read Luke iv. 18.

Lily reads. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor, He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."

Papa. But how do poor sinners receive the healing and health which Jesus brings them? Arthur. Do you mean by faith, papa?

Papa. Yes, you remember how the Israelites were cured when bitten by the fiery serpents. Read Numbers xxi. 6 to 9. You see that, as they looked they were healed. Now, what the

eye is to the body, faith is to the soul. And the Lord says (Isa. xlv. 21, 22), “A just God and a Saviour, there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved." And Jesus, referring to the brazen serpent, says, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John iii. 14, 15.)

Mamma. But now, can you tell me how the Lord Jesus excels all human physicians?

Lily. They would be over-tired, mamma, if so many came. You know our kind doctor said in the fever last year, there were so many cases he could not see all so often as he wished.

Arthur. They too may be skilled in some diseases, but not know much about others. Don't you remember, Lily, our doctor wished papa to send the poor man with the bad leg into the hopital ?

Mamma. Nothing else, my children?

Mary. Oh, mamma, I know what you are thinking of. They, however skilful and kind, find many cases above their skill. I remember how you told us the doctor felt the pulse of our dear little brother, and said, "I cannot deceive you, there is no hope;" and how these words no hope sank like lead into your heart. It is not so with Jesus.

Papa. True, my children. The Great Physician of souls is never over-taxed, for we read, Matt. xii. 15, "Great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all." He is never baffled by any complaint, for we read, Luke iv. 40,"All they that had any sick with divers diseases, brought them unto Him, and He laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them." He finds no case of all who apply, too hard for Him; for it is written, Heb. vii. 25, "He is able to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by Him." Can we imagine any lying beyond the uttermost of an Almighty Saviour?

Mamma. Did you find out how He cured people of various ages and ranks?

Mary. Yes, mamma. Jairus' only daughter, about my age-twelve years (Luke viii. 42); and the impotent man, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. (John v. 5.)

Arthur. And the blind beggar, Bartimeus (Mark x. 46); and the nobleman's child. (John iv. 46.)

Mamma. Yes; and when the Saviour undertakes a case, He makes a complete cure. You know that leprosy in the Old Testament was an especial type of sin. Do you remember what is said of Naaman the leper, when he was cleansed ?

Arthur. "His flesh came again like unto

the flesh of a little child, and he was clean." (2 Kings v. 14.)

Mamma. And Jesus says, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.' (Matt. xviii. 3.)

Mary. But how then, papa, have Christians still to confess, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves?" (1 John i. 8.)

Papa. An important question, Mary. The illustration of a disease rather fails us here. You must not expect to find an image perfect in all its parts. The sinner is pardoned and freely accepted for Christ's sake, as soon as he believes in Jesus and Him crucified. The guilt of sin is for ever purged away; but he still finds the power of sin, and has many a hard battle with it, while the Holy Spirit renews his soul. But now, to turn to our image, he is under the treatment of the good Physician, and in the way for a certain and perfect

cure.

Mamma. Yes, even David had sometimes to mourn, "Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low." But the soul of the believer will ever find "a balm in Gilead, and a Physician there" (Jer. viii. 22), for every stage of his returning health.

Mary. And one day shall we not come to that land where "the inhabitant shall no more

say,

"I am sick?" (Isa. xxxiii. 24.) We were so pleased to find that text.

Mamma. Yes, it is said of that heavenly Jerusalem, "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." (Rev. xxi. 4.)

Papa. Oh, that God may grant us not only to spend a happy Sunday evening as one family on earth, but to spend an eternal Sabbath together, not one wanting, in that sinless, sorrow less land. But we must now close our Bibles; and I give you for next time, "Believers as children in the family of God."

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