love to us, with hearts warmed with redeeming mercy, and invigorated by the power of the Holy Ghost. For The heart must be engaged in it, and woe be to the man who does not follow Christ in this part of his office, by taking the law, as expounded by him, for the rule of his conscience, and his guide to perfection. Upon the whole, therefore, he does not here chiefly preach the Gospel-remission of sins, and acceptance with God, through him, by faith but the law: to show us our want of the Gospel, and drive us into it, and also what it will make us; what we are by nature, and what we must, and shall be, by and under grace. If this remark was attended to, and allowed its due weight, Christ would not be set up against himself, as a preacher of morality, in opposition to his own Gospel, and commission to the apostles, Mark, xvi. 15, 16. God be thanked, he does preach morality, and just such a pure morality as we want, for the recovery and happiness of our natures. But all our endeavours will be sadly frustrated, if we do not comply with his method of attaining it, by first believing in him for the remission of sins, and sanctification of the Spirit. Let us then give earnest heed to his instructions, remembering the voice from heaven, This is my beloved Son, hear ye HIM, PRAYER. O blessed Jesus, the great Prophet and Teacher of thy people, give us grace to receive thy rules of holy living, and write them in our hearts, we beseech thee. Deliver us from all deceivers; deliver us from the deceitfulness of our own hearts. Thou hast told us that strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life; but out of it we perish, and thou who camest into the world to guide us into it, wilt enable us to find and persevere in it. Thou who art mighty to save, who alone canst save, and who hast promised to save us, our eyes are to thee for help and deliverance. Grant us repentance unto life, give us faith to believe in thee as the Saviour in thy blood, save us by mercy, save us to holiness. Stir us up effectually to make our calling and election sure, by following thee, who art the way, the truth, and the life. Let thy strength be made perfect in our weakness. Teach us by thy Spirit to know thy love, to adore thy grace, and trust in thy merits; that being grounded on thee, the rock of our salvation, we may build up ourselves on our most holy faith, by doing the will of our heavenly Father, and find mercy in the great day, through thee our blessed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen. SECTION XV. ST. MATTHEW, viii. 1. GREAT multitudes followed him. Were they athirst for more such discourses? Whatever they felt upon the occasion, this one is enough to give us all aching hearts. If it should, we shall never find our remedy but in following him. - Ver. 2. And behold there came a leper and worshipped him. How he worshipped him, the next words will tell us. Saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Ascribing to him divine honour and divine power. He was sure he could cleanse him, and with an humble faith hoped he would; but had some doubt from a sense of his unworthiness. Let thy faith be as humble as thou wilt, but never question either his power or goodness. The leprosy was a most loathsome distemper in that country. Art thou ignorant of a much worse leprosy cleaving to thy soul? Look back to the sermon on the mount. Wouldst thou know thy physician? Look here. Ver. 3. And Jesus put forth his hand and touched him. Whom none else were to touch, on pain of being unclean themselves. Behold the true picture of our pollution in sin, and of his compassionate heart towards us. So foul and abominable are we; so ready is he to put forth his helping hand, and so powerful is the touch of it for our cleansing. Vile man! Blessed Jesus! is the sum of all Scripture. - Saying, I will, be thou clean." I will," is a sweet word, when we are burthened with sin, and, under a sense of guilt, come to him for remission. And, " be thou clean," is as certainly said to us as it was to the leper. In this comfort I desire to live and die; and am sure that if the faith of it does not turn us to God in love and obedience, nothing else will. Ver. 4. Offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. So long as the Jewish ordinances were in force, he would have a due regard paid to them. And it was to be a testimony to them, not only of the leprosy being cured, but of the person by whom it was cured; that, considering this instance of his power, they might be led to the acknowledgment of him. Which consists very well with his saying to the leper, see thou tell no man, and is agreeable to his conduct at other times. The miracle must be known in some degree, or else it would fail of its main end, as being wrought to prove that he was the Christ: and he would not have it noised too much abroad, lest the people should make a wrong use of it, as he knew they would be ready to do, by declaring for his temporal kingship, which would have been of pernicious consequence to them, as well as to his doctrine and true character, and which, therefore, he was studious to avoid. Ver. 5. There came unto him a centurion. · A Roman officer, but a friend to the Jewish nation and religion, as we read, Luke, vii. And there are two things observable in his character, his tender concern for his servant, and undoubting faith in Jesus. Ver. 6. Sick of the palsy. Apply what you hear with prayer for yourselves. If you do not think of your own disability, and where your palsy is, what is this story of the centurion's servant-what is Jesus himself, to you? Ver. 7. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. He knew what he said, and that there would be no occasion for his going; but chose his words on purpose to draw such an answer from the centurion as would make his faith more remarkable, and a pattern to all believers. The desiring soul, knowing its want of help, and where it is to be had, can make the necessary change in the words, and hears Jesus saying, I will come and heal thee. Ver. 8. Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof." Lord, I am not worthy," is saying all. This self-knowledge, and self-emptiness, as certainly brings Christ into the soul with all his power and love, as it engaged him to grant the centurion's request; but he cannot come under the same roof with the pride of self-sufficiency. Ver. 9. "For I am a man under authority." He did not doubt but Christ's word of command would be as readily obeyed as his own was by all under him. What! in the case of a palsy? Yes, in every thing; for thy cure, though ever so difficult in thy own eyes. Ver. 10. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, &c. - He expressed his admiration of the centurion's faith openly, for the benefit and instruction of all, that we might know exactly what faith is, and the never-failing efficacy of it, viz. a full persuasion of his power and will to be all to us, and do all for us that we want, and absolute trust in him for that purpose. many shall come Ver. 11. And I say unto you that from the east, &c. - From all parts of the world, in the power of a true faith, or reliance on Christ for remission and renovation; and the first in order to the second. But how can this faith ever spring up in the soul, if we deny, or lessen our guilt, and put our own ability to recover ourselves in his stead? Ver. 12. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out. The Jews then, we now, if we, like them, want the only thing which can gain us admission into it. The children of the kingdom cast out! Is it so much as possible that any such should be lost for ever, and consigned to weeping and gnashing of teeth? But how should it be otherwise with all who see no want of Christ, and never were in fear for themselves? Many who call themselves Christians, are utterly ignorant of him, and as unconcerned about their salvation by him, as the heathens. Ver. 13. And Jesus said unto the centurion, go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. - Did Christ intend the benefit of these words only for him to whom he spoke them? Have we no right in the son of David, no interest in this precious saying? Let us not diminish our portion in the Scripture, for the words belong to us, and were spoken alike to all. Dost thou want forgiveness? Dost thou hunger and thirst after righteousness? Dost thou believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the anointed of God and thy Jesus, mighty to save? As thou believest, so will it be done unto thee. The grace of this word will infallibly be made good to every soul that flies to it. On the other hand, is thy sin no burthen to thee? Hast thou only a faint desire of |