it, rather than proceed. May we ponder it ftill further in our hearts! and I am fure that we shall find this maxim to be the last point in wifdom:

"Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

DISCOURSE

DISCOURSE VI.

ACTS XIV. 8, 9, 10.

AND THERE SAT A CERTAIN MAN AT LYSTRA, IMPOTENT IN HIS FEET, BEING A CRIPPLE FROM HIS MOTHER'S WOMB, WHO NEVER HAD WALKED. THE SAME HEARD PAUL SPEAK: WHO STEADFASTLY BEHOLDING HIM, AND PERCEIVING THAT HE HAD FAITH TO BE HEALED, SAID, WITH A LOUD VOICE, STAND UPRIGHT ON THY FEET. AND HE LEAPED, AND WALKED.

THESE words are a plain narative of a miraculous exertion of the apoftle's in favour of an impotent man. Yet, like every other part of fcripture, they are beautiful and expreffive. The impoffibility of his cure by natural means is first mentioned; being a lameness contracted in the womb: he is next defcribed as an earnest hearer of the apostle's :

F 3

1

apostle's doctrine: his inclinations got the better of his infirmity. The reft of the story is best expreffed in the concife elegance of the original" Paul perceiving that he had faith to be healed, faid, with a loud voice, stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked."

I might here enlarge, with much advantage from description, upon the transports of this happy man, who, from being a burthen to himself and others, now first felt the power of felf-motion, and vigor and activity in his limbs; but I have not chosen this subject for the fake of fhewing my own eloquence, but of rectifying fome religious notions in your hearts.

The age of miracles is long fince past; and, as none of us can be in the condition of this impotent man, it would be useless to defcribe it. The lame, the blind, and the deaf, if incurable by natural means, must now bear their respective infirmities with humility and patience, till they are released from them by death. But, there is one part of the text, which perhaps you have taken no notice of, and which is expreffed in these few unornamented

ornamented words, "Paul perceived that he had faith to be healed:" thefe words will afford us meditations, which will be applicable to ourselves. It is, indeed, the leaft fplendid part of the picture which is before us, but it is by far the moft ufeful and inftructive. This will naturally engage us in an inquiry, "what was this faith to be healed ; this preparedness of the heart, which this impotent man manifefted to the apostle, and which made him think him a proper object for the exercise of his extraordinary powers. For, whatever it was that qualified him to receive a cure from his hands, will qualify us alfo to receive the best part of the miracle,-falvation through Jefus Christ.

It does not appear that the man in queftion was a jew, but rather the contrary; therefore the faith here rewarded, could not be the faith of the old Teftament prophecies, or types of the meffiah in the mofaic ceremonial, which he perceived now by the apoftle's preaching to be accomplished in Jefus. Befides, the apoftles always fuited their difcourfes to their hearers; and the inhabitants of Lyftra, of which number he must

have been, were heathens and idolaters, as appears from the verfes following my text. Yet even some of these, (though the generality of them were immerfed in fpiritual blindness and fenfuality) received with franknefs the witnefs which God then afforded them," in that he did good, and gave them rain from heaven, and fruitful feafons; filling their hearts with food and gladnefs." And though they could not distinguish all the attributes of the deity, by what is called natural religion, yet his goodness was too great to be overlooked, as well as their own breaches of the divine and focial law, by the serious and thoughtful perfons among them. They felt, therefore, the defects of the established theology, and languished for divine inftruction and fupport. Of this, Socrates was a remarkable inftance: but he was a philofopher. And might not this poor impotent man be a philofopher alf; a philosopher, in the trueft fenfe, though not in the commonly received estimation? Might he not have difcovered the vanity of this world, and fet his heart upon the enjoyment of a better? The fituation in