heal an outward and vifible disease of the DISC. body, that ye may no longer doubt of the XIV. fame divine power going along with them to work the inward and spiritual cure of the foul by the remiffion of fins. Accordingly no fooner were the words spoken but the fick man instantly "arofe, took up "that whereon he lay, and departed to his "house," no longer mute, but “ glorifying "God," perhaps in the words of the ciii pfalm, for words better adapted to his case cannot be conceived-" Praise the Lord, “O my foul, and all that is within me praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, "O my foul, and forget not all his bene0 "fits: Who forgiveth all thy fins, and "healeth all thine infirmities." Can a miracle be more complete, more glorious than this? What have the Pharifees to fay? Do they yet doubt whether this man's fins are forgiven him; and whether God is in Jefus to forgive them? They are filent, as if the palfy, like Naaman's leprofy cleaving to Gehazi, when it left the man, had seized upon them, and the opening of his mouth

had

DISC. had been the clofing of theirs. But as our XIV. Lord once faid, that if his disciples were

to be filent, the very ftones would cry out, rather than that God fhould want the honour due unto his name; fo though these men, fwelling with malice and envy, fate fpeechlefs, neither willing to commend, nor able to find fault, yet the hearts of the common people, more generous and open to conviction, were touched at once upon feeing the paralytic leap off his bed, whole and found, and walk away with it upon his shoulders-" And they were all amazed, "and faid, We have seen strange things today-we never faw it on this fashion. And

they glorified God:" which that we may all be the more effectually moved to do, let us

IIdly. Make an application of this miracle to ourselves.

For it must be confidered, that bodily diseases, as they were introduced by fin, so are they pictures and representations of correfponding diforders produced by the fame

fin in our fouls, which thereby became DISC. fubject to the fever of anger, the dropfy of XIV. covetousness, the leprofy of uncleanness, the lunacy of ambition, and, among other maladies, to the palsy of spiritual sloth and liftleffness in things pertaining to the work of our falvation. This is the last of those called "the seven deadly fins;" and when it feizes upon the man, it takes away the use of his powers and faculties in matters spiritual, exactly as the palfy does in matters temporal. His nerves are unftrung, and he is under an abfolute inability to work out his falvation, and walk in the way of God's commandments. His hands can neither be lifted up to heaven in devotion, or stretched out to the poor in charity. His feet cannot fupport or carry him forward in a course of holy duties. His tongue cleaves to the roof of his mouth, when it should utter prayers or praises to God, or inftruct and comfort, reprove, or exhort his neighbour. His understanding likewise is dull and heavy, when the doctrines of falvation are proposed to it; his memory retaineth not divine truths

and

DISC. and the vigour of his fpirit is departed. XIV. His will is chained down to the creature,

nor can by any human means be difengaged from the earth: and what is worst of all, the man labouring under this mental or intellectual palfy, and brought down by it to the gates of eternal death, feems to himself all the while to thrive and flourish, because he has perhaps riches, and honours, and pleasures in poffeffion, and can bafk himself in the funshine of this world, faying to his poor foul in this moft wretched condition, "Soul, thou haft goods laid. up for many

years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be "merry." But fuffer not, O man, the world and the good things thereof to deceive thee to thy destruction. They may increase the disorder, and haften thy miferable end. Thy true condition can only be judged of by the state of thy foul. Turn thine eyes inward, and fee whether the description just given belongs to it. If it does, then behold and acknowlege thy picture in "the "man fick of the palfy lying on a bed " and thou wilt prefently cry out, if thou art

not

not quite overcome of the diftemper, "O DISC. "wretched man that I am! who fhall de- XIV. "liver me from the body of this death ?" I anfwer-yea, thou wilt return answer to thyself, if thou confidereft this miracle aright- "I thank God, through Jefus

"Christ our Lord."

For by the wonderful cure wrought upon the body of this poor man, we are taught where to have recourfe when the palfy has feized the foul. He who faid, "Arife and "walk," faid likewise, "Thy fins be for

given thee;" and his word was with equal power in both cafes. Nor is it poffible that he who vouchfafed to heal the more bafe and ignoble part of man, his body, fhould neglect his precious and immortal foul. All therefore that are fpiritually "fick of the palfy" must apply to Chrift. No difficulties and discouragements muft deter them. Some how or other they must appear before him, or else they perish. If they are not able to go to him of themselves by repentance and faith, let

VOL. III.

X

them