DISC. right, shewing that he now enjoys the use XIV. of his powers and faculties, and is in a posture to execute the will of God. "He " who cannot rise and stand upright, but " either continues groveling on the earth, or " falls back as foon as he gets up, is not yet " cured of his spiritual palsy. The finner's " bed is every thing which he loves, and in "which he finds his rest and fatisfaction upon earth; his criminal inclinations, and " the objects of his paffions: a true con" version takes up and carries away every "thing of this nature*." And now being thus arisen, in some fort, from the dead, the man begins to lead a new life, a life of vigour and activity, setting forward in the path of life, the way of God's commandments, to go to his house" not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Nor will he suffer himself to be stopped in his progress by the sneers, and scoffs, and calumnies of those who have in them the spirit of the scribes and pharifees, and are XIV. ever ready to detract from the glory of DISC. Christ, and to laugh at the remiffion of fins, and the converfion of the finner. None of these things will move the true penitent from his purpose, or prevent his "glorify"ing God" openly and before men for his mercy and goodness towards him, in his redemption from the guilt and power of fin through his Saviour Christ, both God and man. The consequence of which will be, that others will be led thereby to give glory to the God of heaven, for the mighty and wonderful work that he hath done, in restoring health and salvation to a diseased and lost soul. For surely nothing but great blindness of mind, want of faith, and love of this life, can make men rejoice more at à bodily cure, than at the converfion of a foul from fin to righteousness; a work, which is indeed spiritual and invisible, and for that reason perhaps the less regarded; but it is a work that far furpaffes all the miracles wrought upon matter - a work, to accomplish which, the Son of God died; and to celebrate which, the angels tune their golden x 3 DISC. golden harps to everlasting HallelujahsXIV. " Christ Jesus came into the world to fave " sinners:" and "there is joy in heaven, among the angels of God, over one fin" ner that repenteth." Which joy therefore let us labour to increase, while it is in our power, by arifing from all sloth and inactivity of spirit, and walking in all holiness and righteousness, without being weary or faint in our minds, until we come to the home and house of eternal rest, through him who says to every true penitent and fincere believer, in the person of the " man fick of the palsy-Son, be of good "cheer; thy fins be forgiven thee. Arife, " take up thy bed, and go to thine house." To him, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be afcribed, &c. DISCOURSE XV. ON THE TWENTY-NINTH OF MAY. PSALM LXXXVII. 2. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. W xv. HEN we take a view of the re- DISC. volutions that have happened in the kingdoms of the world, and behold * Equidem paradoxum quid dixero; et nihilominus vere: Imperia omnia mundi fecundum Dei Providentiam fic fuisse ordinata, ut subservirent confilio Dei erga ecclefiam, nec eorum diffolutionem aut destructionem alio referendam; ut proinde eorum destructio, qualis fuit Perfarum, certo fuerit argumentum, illud non fatisfecisse confilio Dei erga ecclefiam; nec populum fuum ea æquitate, justitia, et indulgentia tractasse, qua par erat. VITRINGA Comment. in Zach. i. 20. 203. X 4 xv. DISC. mighty empires successively rifing and difappearing again, like so many waves in this great and wide sea, where, exalted for a little season to the highest pitch of grandeur, they glitter in the sunshine of profperity, till they are overwhelmed and absorbed by the growing power of fome neighbouring people, who themselves are scarcely gazed at, before they depart and give way to others, as others did to them, we are led thereby to admire and adore the providence of him who ruleth in the kingdoms of men, who putteth down one and setteth up another, ordering all things according to the counsel of his own will. But when from the Scriptures of truth we learn what the counsel of that will is, and how gracious an aspect it bears towards the servants of the true God; when we fee all things, even the most untractable, working together for good to them that believe, and the powers of the earth made subservient to the kingdom of the Meffiah, in carrying on the divine difpenfations of mercy and judgment towards the church, as her obedience pleads |