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fin in our fouls, which thereby became DISC.

subject to the fever of anger, the dropsy of

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covetousness, the leprosy of uncleanness, the lunacy of ambition, and, among other maladies, to the palsy of spiritual floth and listlessness in things pertaining to the work of our salvation. This is the last of those called "the seven deadly fins;" and when it seizes upon the man, it takes away the use of his powers and faculties in matters spiritual, exactly as the palsy does in matters temporal. His nerves are unstrung, and he is under an absolute inability to work out his salvation, and walk in the way of God's commandments. His hands can neither be lifted up to heaven in devotion, or stretched out to the poor in charity. His feet cannot support or carry him forward in a course of holy duties. His tongue cleaves to the roof of his mouth, when it should utter prayers or praises to God, or instruct and comfort, reprove, or exhort his neighbour. His understanding likewise is dull and heavy, when the doctrines of salvation are proposed to it; his memory retaineth not divine truths;

and

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DISC. and the vigour of his spirit is departed. His will is chained down to the creature, nor can by any human means be disengaged from the earth: and what is worst of all, the man labouring under this mental or intellectual palsy, and brought down by it to the gates of eternal death, seems to himself all the while to thrive and flourish, because he has perhaps riches, and honours, and pleasures in poffeffion, and can bask himself in the sunshine of this world, saying to his poor foul in this most wretched condition, "Soul, thou hast goods laid up for many "years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be "merry." But fuffer not, O man, the world and the good things thereof to deceive thee to thy deftruction. They may increase the disorder, and haften thy miferable end. Thy true condition can only be judged of by the state of thy foul. Turn thine eyes inward, and fee whether the description just given belongs to it. If it does, then behold and acknowlege thy picture in "the "man fick of the palsy lying on a bed;" and thou wilt presently cry out, if thou art

not

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not quite overcome of the distemper, "DISC. "wretched man that I am! who shall de" liver me from the body of this death?" I answer-yea, thou wilt return answer to thyself, if thou confiderest this miracle aright - "I thank God, through Jesus "Christ our Lord."

For by the wonderful cure wrought upon the body of this poor man, we are taught where to have recourse when the palsy has seized the foul. He who said, "Arife and " walk," said likewife, " Thy fins be for"given thee;" and his word was with equal power in both cafes. Nor is it possible that he who vouchsafed to heal the more base and ignoble part of man, his body, should neglect his precious and immortal foul. All therefore that are spiritually " fick of the palsy" must apply to Christ. No difficulties and discouragements must deter them. Some how or other they must appear before him, or else they perish. If they are not able to go to him of themselves by repentance and faith, let them

VOL. III.

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DISC. them beg the afsistance of kind and chaXIV. ritable friends, who may direct and convey

them to him by godly counsel and advice, and by their prayers. More especially "let " them fend for the elders of the church," whose continual employment it is to present finners to Christ, and who, like the friends of the man fick of the palsy, should never defift from their labour of love, but use an holy violence in their endeavours, till they have laid their patients at the feet of Jesus, and prevailed for a cure. And furely, if the fon of man on earth, in his mortal and afflicted state of humiliation, had power to forgive fins, with how much greater confidence may finners approach him now that he has died and risen again for them, and fitteth on the throne of glory and grace, invested with all the rights and powers of a priest and interceffor for evermore? Most certainly, whosoever cometh, or is brought to him, in full faith and confidence of his mercy and power, as GOD THE SAVIOUR, shall in no wise be cast out, but shall be made whole of his plague. He shall hear

the

the voice of Jesus saying to him by his DISC. word, by the absolution of the church,

and the teftimony of his confcience through the holy Ghost" Son, be of good cheer; "thy fins be forgiven thee. Arife, take

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up thy bed, and go to thine house." And,

Lastly, my brethren, the reality of the cure of the spiritual palsy will be demonstrated to all the world exactly as that performed upon the body of the paralytic was by what followed when Chrift had fpoken these words to him. Straightway "he arose, took up " that whereon he lay, and" (regardless of the cenfures and calumnies of the scribes and pharifees) " departed to his house glorify" ing God," the people around him doing the fame. This will be the process with every one who by the mighty power and infinite mercy of the Redeemer is healed, upon application to him of his inability to good, his floth, and listlessness, his criminal attachment to the creature. He will

arife forthwith, and as it were stand upright,

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