ness, come in humility and faith to Jesus Christ as the Saviour of sinners, and through his merit and satisfaction-by the power of his grace-your spiritual malady shall be healed, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

2. In the next place I would address those who have obtained relief. In the day of necessity you found the Lord Jesus, and in Him you found salvation, through faith in His name, and the efficacy of His mediatorial work. A debt of gratitude lies upon you, which you will never be able to discharge. Nevertheless cease not gratefully to acknowledge the mercy which you have received, and to praise your Redeemer for the great things which he hath done for your souls. Praise Him in the secret retirement of your daily devotions; praise Him in your social intercourse with the faithful; praise Him in the congregation of those who assemble in his sanctuary. Let the language of praise flow from your lips, while the emotions of praise are excited in your hearts. Remember at the same time that mercies already received, should act as a defensive guard against future temptation to the commission of sin. If indeed this be not the case, aggravated guilt will be incurred, and a heavier load of punishment may be laid on those who prove themselves heinous transgressors. While, therefore, my brethren, the salutary admonition of our Lord, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee," is deeply impressed upon your minds,pray earnestly to Him who giveth more grace, that the mercy which have already received from him,

you

may be followed by renewed and increasing strength for his service, and by enlarged communications of the Divine favour, till at length you attain to the consummation of blessedness and joy, in the everlasting kingdom, and in the immediate presence, of your Redeemer. "Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

3. Finally. I would address those who neglect, oppose, or cavil at, religion. In neglecting it you disregard the provision made for your eternal happiness. Surely the afflicted and diseased who had an opportunity of resorting to Bethesda, would justly have been charged with folly, had they neglected that opportunity yet they would only obtain a bodily cure, and might have waited long ere they were partakers even of that desirable blessing. How great then must be your infatuation, in putting from you the eternal salvation of your souls-a benefit incalculably more precious than all others united, and which none, who sincerely seek it in the way of God's gracious appointment, shall ever be permitted to seek in vain.-In opposing religion you are in fact opposing God; the inevitable consequence of which must be, that you will experience defeat and confusion: for, Who ever resisted the Almighty and prospered? Vengeance shall overtake and devour his adversaries: the ungodly shall flee before Him; and the wicked shall be turned into hell.-In cavilling at religion, you are also in reality opposing it; and that under the influence of ignorance, prejudice, or enmity-if not of all these

combined. You raise, perhaps, some specious objection against something or other connected with religious truth, the consistency or fitness of which you cannot discern; while the fact is that the truth itself is odious to you, and the tendency of your conduct, if not your direct aim, is to prevent its diffusion and progress. Such was the conduct of the Jews, who were desirous to establish against our Lord a charge of breaking the sabbath, because in reality they hated Him, and were opposed to his cause, the progress of which they were intent upon arresting. If there were not ignorance, prejudice, or enmity in the heart, there would doubtless be no cavilling with the lips.

Beware then, ye that neglect, oppose, or cavil at religion, lest the Saviour who is now willing to deliver you from the wrath to come, should at length appear against you in the character of an avenger armed with destructive power, and ye should perish for ever in the day of his fiery indignation. "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found: call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

G

DISCOURSE VI.

THE WITHERED HAND MADE WHOLE, AND THE DROPSICAL MAN HEALED.

MARK III. 5.

And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

THE case which now presents itself to our consideration, namely, the cure wrought upon the " man which had a withered hand," is recorded with some variation of detail by three of the Evangelists. In our proposed review of the subject, therefore, it will be expedient to compare their several narratives with each other; endeavouring to derive from the whole that instruction which such a comparison may suggest.

The account given by St. Mark will be taken as the basis of the following discourse. It is recorded in these words:

"And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him."

From this account compared with those of the other two Evangelists who have recorded the same cure, we shall take occasion to notice

I. THE INTRIGUING CONDUCT OF OUR LORD'S

ADVERSARIES:

II. THE SUPERIOR WISDOM WHICH HE DISCOVERED:

III. THE MANNER IN WHICH HE PROCEEDED TO WORK THE CURE: and

IV. THE VARIOUS RESULTS WHICH FOLLOWED.