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ren, nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ;" but to add to our faith virtue, and knowledge, and temperance, and patience, and brotherly kindness, and charity.'

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Observe, however, that there is nothing in this to contradict the general language of the gospel; nothing to imply that a man's own righteousness is to be the ground of his confidence. This would indeed be to build our house upon the sand. By grace we are saved; not of works, lest any man should boast." But the truth here declared, is another truth, no less to be insisted on, that the practice of a Christian must be as peculiar as his faith; that the faith in which he professes to live, must shine in his actions, must speak in his words, must breathe in his spirit and temper. Then, though the floods may come, and the winds blow, and the stream beat against your house, it shall not be shaken; for it is founded upon a rock. For "though your earthly habitation be dissolved," you have a habitation secured for you in the heavens, whose builder and maker is God; where no storms shall rage, no tempests ever threaten ; but all shall be a perpetual calm and sunshine, in the presence of God and of the Lamb.

'See 2 Peter i. 5-8.

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1. When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

2. And behold there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

3. And Jesus put forth his hand and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

4. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

It was ordained in the law (see Levit. xiv.) that every leper who was cleansed from his disease should be "brought unto the priest ;" and that a particular offering and atonement should be made by the priest on his behalf, when convinced of the reality of the cure.

This man had been healed of his leprosy by the power of Christ: it was acknowledged that no human skill could cure this disease. This man, therefore, was a testimony unto the priests, that "God had visited his people." No man could "do these miracles, except God were with him.” (John iii. 2.)

Every one who "lives in the faith of the Son of God," is a testimony to all who know him of the power of Christ. Sinfulness, indeed, is not eradicated from his heart, as we may suppose that the disease of this leper was eradicated. Still he is a different man from what he was before he embraced the faith of Christ, or from what he would have been, if he had not embraced it; his conduct, his sentiments, the temper of his mind, his whole character supplies a testimony to the fact, that the gospel can teach, and persuade, and enable a man to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness."

Remember, if you profess to believe in Christ, God expects that you should afford a testimony of it: that men should see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

5. And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there Luke vii. came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

6. And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

St. Luke, in relating this miracle, (vii. 2-10,) tells us more of the character of this centurion. He was a Roman officer; and being stationed in Judea, had profited, we may believe, by the knowledge of God which prevailed in that land. Hardly expecting that he himself, as a foreigner, should obtain a favour from our Lord, "when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, that he was worthy for whom he should do this for he loveth our nation, and hath built us a

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synagogue." He had learnt to know the God of Israel; and he had shown this, by employing his authority and means to provide a temple for his worship. Coming to Judea from a heathen land, and finding a religious creed and worship different from his own, he did not ridicule it, as the heathens were commonly accustomed to ridicule the Jews: he did not refuse to examine it, as too many pass by with neglect what differs from the ideas they have received: but he inquired, and discovered, as well he might, that there was no nation like that of the Jews, "which had God so nigh unto them." Probably he acknowledged and worshipped the true God, who in the beginning had made the heavens and the earth certainly, however, he honoured him, and built his people a synagogue. And this his simplicity and sincerity, in following the light which he had, was now to meet with its reward.

7. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

9. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

This reply affords us, first, an example of real Humility. The Jews had said of him, He is worthy that this should be done for him; but he declared of himself, I am not worthy. I have no claim to the distinction of receiving under my roof the Son

3 Deut. iv. 7.

of God. So it is with every sincere Christian. Others admire and praise them; but they are so intimately aware of their own infirmities, that they cannot take such praise unto themselves; and rejoice in the reflection, that they have something better to depend upon than their own worthiness. And this state of mind is pleasing to God: "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Consider next the Faith of this centurion. Being a man in authority himself, as well as under authority, he knew what was the effect of authority; he knew that he obeyed the command of his king, and that he had only to say to his servants, Do this, and they did it. And he believed that Jesus had the same authority, the same power; that he had but to speak the word, and his will should be done; that not only "the winds and the sea," but disease and death, would obey him.

This was what, at that time, men were bound to believe concerning Jesus: they were to own what Nicodemus owned, that "no man could do the miracles that he did, unless God were with him." This the Jews in general refused to believe; but the centurion had no obstinate prejudices, encouraged no disposition of mind which opposed his conviction; and the miracles he had seen, or the doctrines he had heard, had produced their proper effect, and wrought in him FAITH. And our Lord, who knows what is the state of mind in which faith is wrought, and what is the state of mind which resists the influence of the Holy Spirit, approved his faith, and honoured it with a special mark of favour.

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