DISC. them beg the affiftance of kind and chaXIV. ritable friends, who may direct and convey

them to him by godly counfel and advice, and by their prayers. More especially "let "them fend for the elders of the church," whose continual employment it is to present finners to Chrift, and who, like the friends of the man fick of the palsy, should never defift from their labour of love, but ufe an holy violence in their endeavours, till they have laid their patients at the feet of Jesus, and prevailed for a cure. And furely, if the fon of man on earth, in his mortal and afflicted ftate of humiliation, had power to forgive fins, with how much greater confidence may finners approach him now that he has died and rifen again for them, and fitteth on the throne of glory and grace, invested with all the rights and powers of a priest and interceffor for evermore? Most certainly, whofoever cometh, or is brought to him, in full faith and confidence of his mercy and power, as GOD THE SAVIOUR, fhall in no wife be caft out, but fhall be made whole of his plague. He shall hear

the

the voice of Jefus faying to him by his DISC. word, by the abfolution of the church, XIV. and the testimony of his conscience through

the holy Ghoft-" Son, be of good cheer;

66

thy fins be forgiven thee. Arife, take

up thy bed, and go to thine house." And,

Laftly, my brethren, the reality of the cure of the fpiritual palfy will be demonstrated to all the world exactly as that performed upon the body of the paralytic was by what followed when Chrift had spoken these words to him. Straightway "he arofe, took up "that whereon he lay, and" (regardless of the cenfures and calumnies of the scribes and pharifees)" departed to his house glorify

ing God," the people around him doing the fame. This will be the procefs with every one who by the mighty power and infinite mercy of the Redeemer is healed, upon application to him of his inability to good, his floth, and liftleffness, his criminal attachment to the creature. He will arife forthwith, and as it were ftand upright,

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DISC. right, fhewing that he now enjoys the use XIV. of his powers and faculties, and is in a

posture to execute the will of God. "He “who cannot rise and stand upright, but "either continues groveling on the earth, or

falls back as foon as he gets up, is not yet "cured of his fpiritual palfy. The finner's "bed is every thing which he loves, and in "which he finds his reft and fatisfaction 66 upon earth; his criminal inclinations, and "the objects of his paffions: a true con"verfion takes up and carries away every

thing of this nature." And now being thus arifen, in fome fort, from the dead, the man begins to lead a new life, a life of vigour and activity, fetting forward in the path of life, the way of God's commandments, to "go to his houfe" not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Nor will he fuffer himself to be ftopped in his progrefs by the sneers, and scoffs, and calumnies of those who have in them the fpirit of the fcribes and pharifees, and are

a QUESNELL.

ever ready to detract from the glory of DISC. Christ, and to laugh at the remiffion of XIV. fins, and the converfion of the finner. None of these things will move the true penitent from his purpose, or prevent his “ glorify

ing God" openly and before men for his mercy and goodness towards him, in his redemption from the guilt and power of fin through his Saviour Chrift, both God and man. The confequence of which will be, that others will be led thereby to give glory to the God of heaven, for the mighty and wonderful work that he hath done, in reftoring health and falvation to a diseased and loft foul. For furely nothing but great blindness of mind, want of faith, and love of this life, can make men rejoice more at à bodily cure, than at the converfion of a foul from fin to righteoufnefs; a work, which is indeed fpiritual and invifible, and for that reafon perhaps the lefs regarded; but it is a work that far furpaffes all the miracles wrought upon mattera work, to accomplish which, the Son of God died; and to celebrate which, the angels tune their golden

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DISC. golden harps to everlasting HallelujahsXIV. "Christ Jefus came into the world to save "finners:" and "there is joy in heaven,

among the angels of God, over one fin"ner that repenteth." Which joy therefore let us labour to increase, while it is in our power, by arifing from all floth and inactivity of spirit, and walking in all holiness and righteousness, without being weary or faint in our minds, until we come to the home and house of eternal reft, through him who says to every true penitent and fincere believer, in the perfon of the "man fick of the palfy-Son, be of good "cheer; thy fins be forgiven thee. Arife, "take up thy bed, and go to thine house." To him, with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, be afcribed, &c.