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in our hearts the workings of parental tenderness towards our infant offspring, let us consider it as a delightful emblem of yet greater readiness in our heavenly Father to pity and relieve his children.

May universal righteousness and charity be practised by us in the whole of our behaviour, and may we always exercise ourselves herein to have a conscience void of offence, both towards God and towards men. (Acts xxiv. 16.) May we avoid all manner of injustice, and guard against the sallies of a proud and over-bearing temper! May we be upright and benevolent in all our conduct; and make it our constant care to govern our actions by that most equitable rule, Of doing to others as we would reasonably desire they should do to us, on a change of our circumstances and theirs! Happy those generous souls in whom the bias of self-love is so rectified, that they can, in this instance, hold the balance between themselves and others with an impartial and unwavering hand!

On the whole, let us remember that we ourselves are at last to be tried by the rule by which we are here directed to judge of others, even by the fruits which we produce. May God by his grace make the tree good, that the productions of it may be found to his glory and the refreshment of all around us, that we may not be cut down as cumberers of the ground, and cast into the fire.

The way of life, which our blessed Redeemer has marked out for us in such precepts as these, may indeed to corrupt nature appear rugged and narrow, and the gate strait through which we are to pass: but let us encourage ourselves against all the difficulties, by considering that immortal life and glory to which they infallibly lead. Then shall we, doubtless, prefer the most painful way of piety and virtue, though with yet fewer companions than we might reasonably expect, to all those flowery and frequented paths of vice which go down to the chambers of death.

SECTION XXVII.

MATTHEW VII. 21-29.

NOT every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never

knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine. For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes.

How justly may our admiration concur with theirs that heard these sayings of our Lord, while we have the honour and pleasure of attending these discourses as the inspired penmen have recorded them, by the assistance of that Spirit who was to bring all things to their remembrance. Are we not struck with the authority of this Divine Teacher, so as to bear our witness to the gracious and edifying words that proceeded out of his mouth? (Luke iv. 22.)

Let us not content ourselves with applauding what we have heard, but let us go away and practise it. Shortly will that stormy day arise which must try the foundation of our hopes. God will lay judgment to the line and righteousness to the plummet ; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place. How thankful should we be that God has laid in Zion for a foundation, a chief Corner-stone, elect and precious; with an assurance, that he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (Compare Isaiah xxviii. 16, et seq. and 1 Peter ii. 6.) But let every man take heed how he builds thereupon; lest the weight of his ruin be proportionable to the height of his hopes. (1 Cor. iii. 10.)

We say unto Christ, Lord, Lord; but let us remember this will not secure our entering into his heavenly kingdom. Whatever be our profession, or whatever our office in his church, the most splendid and honourable of our works will be vain, if we are found workers of iniquity; for our great Master will then disown us as those whom he has never approved. Blessed Jesus, it will then be in vain to fly to thee with the importu

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nity of prayer, and to repeat the most earnest addresses. We would now, while yet there is room for it, fall down before thee, entreating thee to add the teachings of thy Spirit to those of thy word, that we may be effectually engaged to do the will of thine heavenly Father, that we may finally be confessed and owned by thee and be admitted into the joy of our Lord,

SECTION XXVIII.

MATTHEW VIii. 1.—Luke v. 1—11.

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

And it came to pass, that as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land: and he sat down and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him,

How wonderful a choice does Jesus make of those who were to be the chief ministers in his kingdom! Surely the same Divine power which prevailed on these honest fishermen to leave their little all, to follow him, could with equal ease have subdued the hearts of the greatest and wisest of the nation, and have engaged them to have attended him in all his progress through the country, with the exactest observance and the humblest reverence: but he chose rather to preserve the humble form in which he at first appeared, that thus he might answer the schemes of Providence, and by the weak things of the world confound them that are mighty. (1 Cor. i. 27.).

Yet we may observe that he does not go to call them that stood all the day idle; but, on the contrary, confers this honour upon honest industry; on them that had been toiling all the night in the proper duties of their station, and profession in life. Let us pursue our business with vigilance and resolution; assuring ourselves that, however mean it be, Christ will graciously accept us in it; and let us fix our dependance on his blessing, as absolutely necessary to our

success.

These pious fishermen let down their nets at Christ's word, and it was not in vain. How vast was that power which brought such a multitude of fishes into it! but how much greater and more apparently Divine was the energy which, by the ministration of one of these illiterate men, converted at once a much greater number of souls, and turned the despisers and murderers of Christ into his adorers! (See Acts ii. 41.)

Blessed Jesus, we would humbly bow ourselves before thee as the Lord of nature and of grace; and instead of saying with Peter, Depart from us, for we are sinful men, we would rather say, Lord, for that very reason, while we own ourselves most unworthy of thy presence, we most importunately entreat it Come unto me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man, and if thou stand at a distance from me, I perish! Come, and recover my heart from the tyranny of sin; come, and possess and fix it for thyself!'

That secret power which these good men felt on their souls while the words of Christ were sounding in their ears would be to them a token for good as to the success of their ministry upon others. Surely we cannot wish any thing of greater importance for the edification of the church, than that the persons who are employed in its public offices may themselves experimentally know the power of Divine grace, and be brought to a determination to follow Christ whithersoever he goeth, before they undertake to invite and persuade others to do it.

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SECTION XXIX.

MATT. VIII. 2-4.-MARK I. 40-45.-LUKE v. 12-16. AND behold, there came a man full of leprosy, who seeing Jesus, and kneeling down unto him, fell on his face, worshipped him, and besought him, saying unto him, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will, be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away: and saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, and so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city: For great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. But he withdrew himself, and was without in desert places, and prayed: and they came to him from every quarter.

Our souls are overspread with the leprosy of sin; and where should we apply for help but to the healing power and recovering grace of the great Redeemer. Be the malady ever so deep, spreading or inveterate, we may surely adopt the words of the leper before us, and say, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And how much reason have we to hope this compassion will be moved in our favour, and his power exerted in our cure!

If we have received that favour, we are under the obligation of no command to conceal it. It is, on the contrary, our duty most gratefully to publish it abroad, for the honour of our Benefactor, and the advantage of those who may be encouraged to make the same application in humble hope of the same success.

But when will the happy time come that men shall be as

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