mighty God, we must add steady attention to our own hearts, that we may perceive and repress all emotions to evil in their first rise, before they obtain the consent of the will, which makes them to be formally sinful.

The Christian life may be comprised in two words; namely, penitence and faith. By the former we forsake all sin and every thing that is evil. By the latter we resign ourselves up to God in all things; looking only to him, and relying solely upon him for every thing necessary for this life and the next. Whenever this shall be the state of our hearts we shall fully experience the goodness and faithfulness of God-that he "will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able." Then, too, we shall be blessed with the full power of his Spirit; and “he will defend us under his wings, and we shall be safe under his feathers; his faithfulness and truth shall be our shield and buckler."

で

DISCOURSE V.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE CURE OF THE PARALYTIC
MAN WHO WAS BROUGHT TO CHRIST.

MATT. ix. 2.

Jesus seeing their faith, saith unto the sick of the palsy,
Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee.

By comparing together the accounts which St. Matthew,

St. Mark, and St. Luke* have given of the paralytic man
to whom the text refers, we shall collect the following cir-
cumstances: That, returning from the country of the Ger-
gesenes, Jesus came again to Capernaum, the place of his
ordinary residence-that as soon as it was generally known
he was returned home, such a multitude assembled as fil-
led the house and crowded the door; and among the rest,
a number of Pharisees and Doctors of the law-that he
took the opportunity of such an assembly to preach the
words of eternal life to them-that while he was preach-
ing, a paralytic man was brought on a bed borne by four
people, who, not being able to get through the crowd in-
to the house, went upon the roof, and, opening a passage
through the tiling, let him down on his bed into the room
where Jesus was-that, seeing this instance of their faith,
he said to the sick man, “Son, be of good cheer, thy sins
be forgiven thee"-that thereupon some of the Scribes
said "within themselves, this man blasphemeth"-and that
Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, demanded of them, why
they accused him of blasphemy? whether it required
greater, or a more divine power to forgive his sins, than
to cure his disease by a word? But that ye may be convin-
ced I have the power to forgive his sins, I say to thee, O
sick man,
"Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine

* Mark. ii. 3. Luke v. 18.

1

house" that accordingly the man" arose and departed to his house;" and the people "marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men."

This, in few words, is the history of the transaction. My duty is to make such observations on it, as shall tend to confirm our faith, and regulate our practice.

1. The first observation relates to the Ministers and Preachers of the Gospel. They have in this conduct of their Master, an instance of his readiness to instruct all, in the will of God, who would give him an opportunity to do so. It was indeed the great desire of his heart-his meat and his drink-the pleasure of his life-"to do the will of him that sent him, and finish his work." For this end, he travelled through the cities of Judea, and taught and "preached the Gospel of the kingdom" of God; and "healed all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people." The desire of doing good, which actuated all his actions, excited him to embrace the opportunity of instructing the multitude, which crowded about him, upon his return from the country of the Gergesenes, by preaching the word to them.

Let this convince his Ministers, that every fair opportunity of giving instruction to those who are disposed to receive it, ought to be embraced; and that when such opportunities present themselves, it is their duty to lay hold on them, and to spread the knowledge, and declare the terms of salvation through Christ, and to persuade and entreat men to be reconciled to God through him. If they be sincere in their holy profession, this duty will be their pleasure; to it all their views and designs will be directed, and every thing else will be managed so as to promote it.

2. The second observation relates to the multitude which assembled to hear our Saviour's instructions. No sooner did the people of Capernaum know that Jesus was returned to their city, than they assembled about the house where he resided. They knew the goodness of his heart always disposed him to give instruction to those who would hear; and they doubted not of his doing so, at that time, Be their conduct our pattern; and let it teach us, that no

opportunity of hearing the words of eternal life from Christ's authorised ministers is to be neglected, but ought, on the contrary, to be sought for, and embraced with pleasure. By God's goodness, these opportunities are frequently presented to us in his holy Church; where we meet, as well to hear his Word, as to celebrate his praise and make our requests known unto him. Were our hearts rightly disposed, no trivial excuse would keep us away from the stated assemblies of the church. The sloth of the morning and indolence of the afternoon would no more assume the names of sickness and indisposition, to cover the shame of absence. Like the people of Capernaum, we should crowd even the door to join in adoration to our Almighty Creator, and receive the instructions he hath provided for us.

3. The third observation relates to the temper with which the people of Capernaum went to hear the instructions of Jesus. A multitude of hearers must have various dispositions. Some, probably, went because they were convinced he spake to them the words of eternal life, and pointed out the road to the favour and mercy of God; others because they loved to hear a good sermon-to have their imaginations delighted with lively images, and their ears with melodious accents. The former, no doubt, received instruction as well as delight; while the pleasure of the latter was, probably, much greater than their profit. If we may judge of the conduct of those people from observations made on the same class of hearers, at this period of the world, no rapture could exceed theirs. The sermon they undoubtedly extolled as the best they had ever heard greatly exceeding their utmost expectation: And then, the Preacher-such music in his voice; such energy in his expression; such grace and dignity in his manner, as exceeded every thing of which they had any conception. To this encomium was probably added the resolution, that if he ever preached there again, they would certainly increase the number of his hearers. Here, in all likelihood, the matter ended-quiet and easy in their sins and vices, they sat down contented, and gave them

selves, and expected that God also would give them great credit, because they had heard a good sermon.

If this be all such people get from a good sermon, they might as well not hear. They are, in truth, the very persons who "hearing hear not." A good sermon is a great blessing to those who improve it as they ought to do. Preaching is one of the means God hath appointed to instruct us in our duty; to confirm our faith; to enliven our hopes; to open our hearts to the impressions of his grace, and the motions of his Spirit within us; to call us to repentance, and build us up in piety and holiness. But if it answer none of these purposes; like other abused means of grace, it will harden the heart, and increase our condemnation. "Take heed therefore how ye hear."

The Scribes and Pharisees seem, on several occasions, to have attended Christ with very perverse dispositionsto watch his words, and try to find something on which their malice might fasten, and render him obnoxious to public authority, or lessen his influence with the people. Their accusing him in their hearts of blasphemy, because he said to the man sick of the palsy, "Thy sins be forgiv en thee," makes it probable they came, at this time, with that malevolent intention. To such hearers a good sermon is a grievance. If the Preacher's voice and manner be agreeable, and they can fix no imputation of heresy or false doctrine on what he delivers, they will be disappointed, and displeased. In such cases, the too general practice is, where they cannot find faults, to make them -to catch at appearances, to misrepresent expression, and pervert every thing that can be perverted; and, at the same time, to cover their evil purposes with the greatest professions of liberality and candour.

It is a comfort that truth fears no watching, and malice commonly brings confusion on its own head; always torment to the heart infested with it. This was the issue in the case before us. The cure of the paralytic man with a word, excited universal admiration; and while it confounded the malicious Scribes and Pharisees, and obliged them to hold their peace, it loosed the tongues of the as