25. 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.

26. 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:

Here we have a builder too, perhaps a baptized man, and a professor of religion. And what so likely to be his sandy foundation, as himself, and the boasted reckoning of his works and services?

27. 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.

The fate of every house, however beautiful, which is not founded on Christ. It must all come tumbling down, and not one stone be left upon another.

28. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

29. For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Are we astonished at his doctrine? While we heard it, was it as fire searching our inwards parts? Has it laid us open to ourselves, to our great astonishment?

Jesus has authority with us, when we resolve to know what he taught, think of it day by day, and submit to it unfeignedly.

The scribes were lifeless, dull teachers, and not having searched themselves, could not search others.

SECTION XVI.

Chap. viii. ver. 1—13.

CHRIST CLEANSETH THE LEPER, AND HEALETH THE CENTURION'S SERVANT.

1. When he was come down from the mountain, 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.

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

We see how he worshipped him. He ascribed to him divine honour, and divine power. He was sure Christ could cleanse him, and with an humble faith hoped he would; but had some doubt from a sense of his unworthiness. Let our faith be as humble as we will, but let us never question either his power or his goodness. The leprosy was a most loathsome distemper in that country. Are we ignorant of a much worse leprosy cleaving to our souls? Let us look back to the sermon on the mount. Would we know our physician ?—let us look here.

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

Jesus 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 the Holy Scriptures.

"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.

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.

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 had been 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 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.

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

This was a Roman officer, but a friend to the Jewish nation and religion. Luke vii. And there are two things observable in his character, his tender concern for his servant, and undoubting faith in Jesus.

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

Let us apply what we hear with prayer to ourselves. If we do not think of our own disability, and where our

palsy is, what is this story of the centurion's servant? What is Jesus himself to us?

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.

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.

"Lord, I am not worthy," is saying all. This selfknowledge 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.

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.

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 everything; for our cure, though ever so difficult in our own eyes.

10. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

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.

11. And I say

unto you,

That many shall come from the east,

and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

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 ?

12. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Jews then, we know, 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 for ever lost, 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.

13. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

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. Do we want forgiveness? Do we hunger and thirst after righteousness? Do we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the anointed of God, and our 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 burden to thee? Hast thou only a faint desire of holiness? And is thy help for the most part in thyself? As thou believest so will it be done unto thee. Thou shalt be left to stand or fall by thyself.