nated with the most enormous vices. With what countenance can we undertake to rebuke others for small faults, when we are ourselves plunged in the most destestable pollutions? Welt might the Redeemer of the world say, "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." Matt. vii. 5.

These are the important points of doctrine recommended by the infallible Preacher, as necessary to the teachers of the Gospel of peace; but it is not enough that they know and practise the several branches of their duty to extend the happy doetrine among mankind, there must be also a readiness, and even a desire, in the people to receive them for if these be wanting, all attempts to spread these heavenly truths will prove abortive: and therefore our blessed Saviour added: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." Matt. vii. 6. Matt. vii. 6. Do not reprove men of a snarling disposition, as the attempt, instead of having the happy effects intended, will but provoke them to pursue their wickedness with greater boldness than ever. You may warn others against their company and example, you may weep over them, and you may pray to your heavenly Father for them; but you cannot reprove them with safety, or any hopes of success.

Lest the disciples should think that these precepts were not to be attained by human nature, he directed them to apply to God for the assistance of his Spirit, together with all the other blessings necessary to their salvation: assuring them, that if they asked with earnestness and perseverance, the Father of mercies would not fail to answer their requests, and give them whatever they desired; adding the noblest precept of morality that was ever delivered by any teacher, "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets." Matt. vii. 12. How clear a rule of duty is this, and how easy and applicable to practice! Look into your breast, and do as you would be done by, in the same condition.

Having enforced these heavenly precepts, he exhorted them to place an humble dependence on the Spirit, to strive to praetice the precepts of religion, however difficult the task might appear. "Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matt. vii. 13, 14. How strait indeed is the gate, how narrow the way, that leadeth to life! In the way, nothing is to be found that flatters the flesh, but many things that

have a tendency to mortify it; poverty, fasting, watching, injuries, chastity, sobriety. And with regard to the gate, it receives none that are puffed up with the glory of this life; none that are elated and blown up with pride; none that are distended with luxury it does not admit those that are laden with the caskets of riches, or encumbered with the goods of this world. None can pass through it but those who are stripped of all worldly lusts, and who, having put off their bodies, are, if I may be allowed the expression, emancipated into spirits. There is, however, no reason for us to despair of entering through this heavenly portal; if we sincerely endeavor, the assistance of the Holy Spirit will make us "more than conquerors ;" and we shall safely pass through the "strait gate," and pursue our journey with ease along the "narrow path," till we arrive at the blissful mansions of the heavenly Canaan.

But, lest evil-minded men, under the mask of piety and religion, should endeavor to draw them from the paths of righteousness, our blessed Saviour cautioned his disciples to beware of such persons, and carefully to make the strictest scrutiny into their lives and doctrines.

Our Lord closed his sermon with the parable of the houses built on different foundations; intimating, that the bare knowledge, or the simple hearing of the divinest lessons of morality ever delivered, nay, even the belief of these instructions, without the practice of them, is of no manner of importance.

Religion alone is the foundation which can so firmly establish us, that we cannot be shaken by all the tempests of afflictions, temptations, and persecutions of the present life. It is this foundation alone, which, like a flinty rock, or the basis of the mountains, can support us in the day of trial. This alone can enable us to frustrate the attempts of men and devils, and patiently endure all the troubles of mortality.

CHAPTER VII.

Our blessed Lord cures the Leprosy and Palsy.-Casts out a Devil.-Succors the Mother-in-law of Peter; and afterwards pursues his Journey through the country of Galilee.

THE great preacher of Israel having finished his excellent discourse, came down from the mountain, surrounded by a multitude of people, who had listened with astonishment to the doctrines he delivered, which were soon confirmed by divers

miracles. A leper met him in his way to Capernaum, and being, doubtless, acquainted with the wonderous works he had already performed, threw himself, with great humility, before the Son of God, using this remarkable expression: "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." -.

The species of leprosy common among the Jews, and other eastern nations was equally nauseous and infectious; but this was so far from preventing the blessed Jesus from approaching so loathsome an object, that it increased his pity; he even touched him; but, instead of being polluted himself, the leper was instantly cleansed, and he departed, glorifying God.

The Evangelist adds, that Jesus forbade him to tell any person what had been done, but repair immediately to the priest, and offer the gift commanded by Moses.

Having performed the cure on the leper, our blessed Lord proceeded to Capernaum; but as he entered the city, he was met by a Roman centurion, who represented to him, in the most pathetic manner, the deplorable condition of his servant, who was grievously afflicted with a palsy. The compassionate Redeemer of the world listened attentively to his complaint, and immediately told him he would come and heal him. The centurion thought this too great a condescension to one who was not of the seed of Jacob, and therefore told him, that he did not mean he should give himself the trouble of going to his house, as this was an honor he had not the least reason to expect, he being assured that his word alone would be sufficient: diseases and devils being as much subject to his commands, as his soldiers were to him.

Our Lord was amazed at these words. Not that he was ignorant of the centurion's faith, or the bias on which it was built; he well knew the thoughts of his heart long before he uttered his request; but he was filled with admiration at the exalted idea the Roman officer had conceived of his power; and to make this faith the more conspicuous, he gave it the praise it so justly deserved. "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith; no, not in Israel." Matt. viii. 10.

This centurion, doubtless, relied upon the miracles Jesus had before wrought upon the nobleman's son; but the excellency and peculiarity of it consisted in applying the most grand ideas of the divine power of Jesus, who, according to outward appearance, was only one of the sons of men.

This exalted faith induced the blessed Jesus to declare the gracious intentions of his Almighty Father with regard to the Gentiles; namely, that he would as readily accept their faith as that of the Jews, and place them with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven, while those who boasted of being the offspring of these great patriarchs, but fell far short

of the heathens in faith, should be excluded from the blissful seats of Paradise. "And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matt. viii. 11, 12.

Having thus addressed the multitude, the blessed Jesus turned himself to the centurion, and said, "Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee." Though the idea thou hast conceived of my power is just, though remarkably great, as a reward for thy faith, I grant thee the petition thou hast asked of me. "And," the Evangelist adds, "his servant was healed in the self-same hour." Matt, viii. 13.

On the succeeding Sabbath, our Saviour went into the Jewish synagogue, at Capernaum, and taught the people, delivering his instructions in so graceful and elegant a manner, that they were all astonished; and to increase their admiration, one of the congregation, possessed with an unclean spirit, cried out, in a terrible manner, "Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee, who thou art, the Holy one of God." Mark, i. 24.

But the blessed Jesus, who wanted the testimony of no such confessors, commanded him to keep silence, and immediately come out of the man which command the evil spirit instantly obeyed, to the great surprise and astonishment of all the spec

tators.

The enemies of the Gospel have always endeavored to depreciate our Saviour's miracles, pretending that no more is meant by a person possessed of the devil, than that he was afflicted with some loathsome disease; and that, because sepulchres were considered as polluted places, therefore, whenever any melancholy person frequented them, they were said to be possessed with unclean spirits. They add, that it will be difficult to assign a reason why demons were, at this time, more numerous in Judea than in any other country.

To the first of these objections, namely, that the demoniacs were in reality nothing more than persons afflicted with some loathsome disease, we reply, it is evidently false; the Evangelist having taken care to be very particular on this head. "They brought unto him (says he) all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them." Matt. iv. 24. "He gave to the apostles power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease."

Matt. x. 1. And, accordingly, "he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils." Mark, i. 34. It is therefore evident, that those said to be possessed with unclean spirits were different from those which had diseases. Let us therefore pass to the second objection, and see whether we cannot give a satisfactory reason why demons were at this time more numerous in Judea than in any other country.

That there were evil spirits of this kind is abundantly evident from the holy scriptures, the sacred penmen having taken care to acquaint us with their origin and fall, their names and numbers, their government and orders, their malicious designs and employments, with several other particulars. So that no one can doubt of the existence of demons, who believes these holy oracles to be the word of God. And it is equally evident, both from sacred and profane history, that before our Saviour's advent, great numbers of men were possessed with those evil spirits.

The truth is, these angels of darkness had, at this time, taken possession of so large a share of the world, that they began to rival the Almighty in his worship; and, therefore, one end of the incarnation of the Son of God was "that he might destroy the works of the devil." And hence we may easily see the reason why Omnipotence suffered these apostate spirits to appear so frequently in Judea at the time of our Saviour's ministry, namely, that the Son of God, might, in a more signal manner, triumph over all the powers of darkness, and convince mankind that he was truly the Saviour of the world.

But to return. The fame of this miracle was soon spread over the neighboring country. He had before healed the sick, and done many other wonderful things; but to command with authority the unclean spirits to quit their residence; and to see these enemies to mankind readily obey his voice, filled them with astonishment, and abundantly convinced them that he was filled with the Spirit of God.

It has been asked, why the devil, who, it is plain from the text, knew the Saviour to be the Son of God, should put it into the heart of Judas to betray him, since this was the proper method of accomplishing the redemption of mankind? But the answer to this is obvious and easy. The devil, doubtless, knew Jesus to be the Messiah; but he was ignorant of the mystery of man's redemption. And, therefore, though he was not ignorant of his divinity, yet he might be so far infatuated as to think that, by destroying his humanity, he should defeat the great design of Omnipotence. For however extensive we may suppose his intellectual faculties to be, yet the wonderful work of man's redemption, by the death of Christ, was a mystery