shipped him who liveth forever and ever. And even he is always worshipped singly in the sequel of the vision, which evinces that he is essentially adorable ; whilst they did not prostrate themselves before the Lamb, but on the day that he was installed and deemed worthy to open the book. Consequently, the honours, which he receives, are attached to his employment, and by no means to his own nature.

From all these passages it is easy to conclude, what sort of honour we owe to Jesus Christ; they teach us, with one unanimous consent, that it is in virtue of his exaltation, and not of any right which he essentially possesseth. On the other hand, we see not in any respect that he is the self-adorable Being; and for myself, I confess, that such silence very much strikes me; at least it merits some attention; and that one should suspend for a moment his prejudices, before he incurs a rash and precipitate adoration. We ought, therefore, carefully to consult the scripture, for fear of worshipping we know not what. Every time that it commands me to pay my homage to Jesus Christ, it always adds certain restrictions; it saves so evidently the rights of the Creator, that they cannot receive from it any derogation. On the contrary, they only appear to be better established; for it tells me, that I ought to honour Jesus Christ, sometimes, because God hath highly exalted him, and invested him with a dignity superiour to the angels, and sometimes because the glory of the

Supreme is here interested; in that he sees himself honoured, when we respect the character of his Ambassador. Thus, I regard Jesus Christ as the great and infallible teacher; I admire his power, his virtues, his extraordinary talents; I acknowledge him for my superior, and as the person who is one day to be my judge; I acknowledge that, after God, he is the author of my salvation; I am penetrated with gratitude towards him; I celebrate his memory; and the honours which I render him keep pace with the measure of my praises. I abase myself before the king of kings; I respect in him the image and capital production of the Deity; above all, I honour him when I strive to obey him, and when I take his precepts for the rule of my life. This is the manner of honouring Jesus Christ, at least it appears to me to be the true one; and it is permitted to every one to follow those sentiments, which, after diligent inquiry, he believes to have the sanction of revelation.

Power of Jesus Christ.

THE Jews had generally this opinion, that maladies, especially if they were inveterate and incurable, were ordinarily the punishment of some sin, whether they were a natural consequence of it, or were sent supernaturally. They even believed with the Pythagoreans and several Eastern nations, that souls were

created before God united them to bodies; and in order to punish them, or to recompense them, he lodged them in vigorous and well made bodies, or plunged them into infirm and deformed ones. Witness what the Author of Wisdom makes Solomon say; "I was a goodly child, and a good soul fell to my lot; or rather, being good, I came into a body exempt from every blemish." Witness the Apostles, who, in regard to the man, who was blind from his birth, inquired of our Lord, "Who had sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind.” Witness also the Pharisees, who say to this same person; "Thou wast born in sin, and dost thou teach us, thou, who wast born with this defect, but on account of the sins which thou committedst in another life, or because those who were the instruments of thy birth, were actually sunk in depravity."

Let us now proceed to the immediate consideration of this passage. The paralytic desired to be cured, and our Lord replies to him, "Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee." To pardon sins, is properly to deliver from the punishment which they have merited, and this is the signification of the Greek term. We have seen, that the Jews regarded certain maladies as a consequence of sin, and a chastisement of God. Perhaps this man had lost the use of his limbs by his having lived in debauchery and irregularity. As if Christ had said to him; Cease, my son, to afflict and deject yourself;

you have obtained the pardon of those sins, which have drawn down upon you this just punishment of heaven, and you are going to be delivered from your malady. The question then is not here of a general pardon of all his sins, which is never offered but on condition of repentance; nor of deliverance from the punishments of the other life, which depend on the immutable laws of justice.

To be convinced of the truth of our interpretation, it suffices to attend to the sequel of the story. The Jewish doctors, full of envy against Christ, and always ready to give an invidious turn to his words, treated them as blasphemous, as if he usurped a right which only appertained to the Deity. But in a spirited manner he repels the calumny; "Why," says he to them, "do you form such a rash judgment; for which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?" If I can cure this man, and deliver him from the punishment of his sins, cannot I say to him, without violating the glory of God, The sins which have drawn upon thee this punishment are forgiven thee? Does not the one suppose the other? And to show you in fact that I have power to pardon sins on earth, or to take away the punishments with which they are often followed in this life, Rise, said he to the paralytic, and go to thy home.

Butlet us make the greatest concession, and suppose, that one must understand here the general

pardon of all his sins; does it follow from this, that Jesus Christ is equal to the Deity? By no means; for does not he himself say to the Apostles, "Whosesoever sins you forgive, they shall be forgiven ?" It remains therefore to know, if he pardons them by his own pure authority, which he neither here nor any where else asserts; or if he pardons them only in virtue of a power received from God, which the Gospel clearly intimates, "The multitude," it continues, "glorified God, who had granted such power to men."

This further appears from the words of our Lord. According to him, it was as much permitted to say to the paralytic, "Thy sins are forgiven thee;" as to say to him, "Rise and walk." He lays it down as a principle, which the Jewish doctors could not contest, that it was permitted him to say, "Rise and walk;" whence he concludes, that he could say without blasphemy, "Thy sins are forgiven thee." Now this consequence would not be just, if the absolute power of forgiving was attributed to him; for this right does not appertain but to God alone, and the gift of healing may be found in a mere prophet.

Add to this the perpetual language of Jesus Christ, who refers every thing that he did to the influence and support of his father. "All power is given to me," and, consequently, this of pardoning. "The Father hath committed all judgment to the