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which we find him, gives us room at least to fuppofe it: for, being a cripple from his mother's womb," he was cut off from many of the vices of an active life, and the powers of his mind might expand themfelves by ufe and exercife, in proportion as those of his body were emaciated for want of them. The theology of those times, though moft abfurd in many respects, would generally inform him, that piety to the gods, and kindness to men, could not lose their reward; but would give him future hopes, and immortality in their elylium, when this troublefome world was at an end. On this fubject he probably meditated much, and acted fuitably; was patient, benevolent and thankful. The apofiles come to Lyftra, his native town, preaching Jefus Chrift. He is a willing hearer of the truths they taught, and now finds all his defects fupplied, and his doubts cleared: he exchanges an immoral Jupiter, and a wifdom

refiding in temples made with hands," for the immortal, invifible, and only true God, and him whom he had fent :" he parts with a trivial wreath in his once hoped

hoped-for elyfium, for "a crown incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away, referved in heaven for him :" he feels not the cenfures of his friends, nor the fcoffs of his enemies: he is " crucified in his affections and lufts," and defires to " be made perfect through fufferings." But, while these gracious thoughts are dawning in his heart; whilst he is thus devoting himself to his new-found faviour, and his God, "Paul, earnestly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, faid, with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.”

典

You must by this time, I think, almost understand what our text means, by "faith to be healed;" which was, in few words, a docility of mind, ready to hear, and willing to believe upon reasonable evidence; and to perform, with fincerity and punctuality, fuch moral duties as refulted from that belief. And this is just the difpofition of mind with which the apostle Paul himself, the worker of this miracle, received the revelation of his divine mafter. "Lord! what wouldst thou have me to do?" Here I am thy de

voted fervant, prepared and refolved for the remainder of my life, to believe in thee, to love thee, and to follow thee. And this is indeed the faith of holy fcripture, which is neceffary to the falvation of every christian. It is a "faith working by love," beginning with the conviction of the head, fpreading itself through the affections of the heart, and finally poffeffing the whole man. A fpeculative belief in divine truths, Satan is as much poffeffed of, according to the testimony of St. James, as Enoch, Abraham or David. It is not, therefore, the bare act of the mind, in giving affent to the truth of any propofition, that can poffibly be that faith of the new Teftament, which is fo much commended and required; for we cannot help believing truth, when it is clearly proposed to us: but it is bestowing that willing application and attention of mind, and that abhorrence of fenfual lufts, which, feeling its own nothingness and unworthinefs before God, eagerly clofes with his own terms of falvation, as foon as they are offered to us. Without this candid, gracious

cious difpofition, the man of Lyftra must have remained as impotent as the apostle found him; for he could not, with propriety, scarcely perhaps with poffibility, have bestowed upon him any grace, either of body or mind.

Indeed the miracles of our bleffed faviour give an additional ftrength to this argument, and illuftrate our exposition of the text: for, if you will examine, you will find that he always required a fuitable difpofition of heart in those whom he relieved, before he complied with their requests. When he obliged the centurion with healing his fervant, his faith was the condition. of his cure he faid unto him, "Go thy way; and, as thou haft believed, fo be it done unto thee." When the father of one who was deaf and dumb brought his fon to be healed, 66 Jefus faid unto him, if thou canft believe, all things are poffible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and faid, with tears, Lord! I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” After this confeffion of his truft and refignation, he took and healed him of his infir

mity. "When the ten lepers met him,

and

and cried; Jefus, mafter, have mercy on us;" his answer was, "Go, fhew yourfelves to the priests;" intimating that they fhould receive their cure as they went thither they trufted in his word, and were healed. When the woman of Canaan applied in behalf of her daughter, he put her dependence upon him to a feverer trial, before he complied with her importunity. But when he found it pure, he difmiffed her with thefe affuring words; "O woman! great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt."

I might mention, as very appofite on this occafion, the cure of the paralytic that was let down through the roof, "when they could not get to Jefus for the prefs:" the cafe of the woman whofe "iffue of blood ftaunched," by privately touching the hem of his garment: the circumftances at the houfe, and tomb, previous to the raifing of Jairus's daughter, and Lazarus from the dead: and, indeed, many others to fupport this general truth, viz. that our Lord, in all his miraculous cures, accepted an humble trust and refignation of themselves to

God,