Those of JESUS, they meditated not on the possibility of Such Power, as He Manifested, Coming from Above; and waited not to see, if Such Gracious Dispensations were at length Visited upon them and their People, from On HIGH; but at once deliberated in their own minds on the only probable ground of successful opposition to Him with the People, that of charging Him with blasphemy. This Assertion of DIVINE Power in JESUS was indeed an Unequivocal Assertion of The DIVINITY of His Nature: and His bitterest Enemies thus admitted, that, if He could Forgive sins, He must be GOD.

St. Mark's continuation is thus; "And immediately when JESUS Perceived in His Spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He Said unto them, 'Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the Sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee!' or to say, 'Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?"-Chap. ii. 8, 9.

St. Luke thus proceeds; "But when JESUS Perceived their thoughts, He answering, Said unto them, 'What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier to say, Thy sins be Forgiven thee!' or to say, 'Rise up and walk?'”—Chap. v. 22, 23.

"But that ye may know that the SON of Man hath Power on Earth to Forgive sins, then Saith He to the Sick of the Palsy, Arise, take up thy bed and go unto thine house!'”—6.

O faithless and perverse Generation, who, though professing to be seeking Signs from Heaven, would not believe Them, when Given! For abundance of Signs had shewn a Supernatural Power in JESUS, and from the tendency of the Exercises of That Power, as Leaning to Mercy and Good-will towards Mankind, there should have been a grateful and respectful feeling towards Him cherished, and a patient awaiting a further Development of Qualities, and an encouragement of the hope, that The ALMIGHTY had at length Visited to Redeem His People; that the Time was at length Come, when, according to the Inspired Words from the Prophet Micah, "That GOD, unto Whom None was like, Who Pardoneth iniquity and Passeth by the transgression of the Remnant of His Heritage," had Descended Visibly among them: Even "He, Who Retaineth not His Anger for ever, because He Delighteth in Mercy: Who will have Compassion upon us, and Subdue our iniquities, and will Cast all our sins into the depths of the Sea."Chap. vii. 18, 19.

St. Mark's continuation is thus ; "But that ye may know that The SON of Man hath Power on Earth to Forgive sins, He Saith to the Sick of the palsy, 'I Say unto thee,' Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way unto thine house!" Chap. ii. 10, 11.

St. Luke also; "But that ye may know, that The SON of Man hath Power upon Earth to Forgive sins, He Said unto the Sick of the palsy, I Say unto Thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house!'" Chap. v. 24.

"And he arose and departed to his house."-7.

Thus proving a living Monument of CHRIST'S Omnipotence both over the Souls and Bodies of Men, by imparting health and vigour to the latter, and Implanting obedience, as the fruit of Forgiveness of sins, in the former.

St. Mark adds ; "And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all."-Chap. ii. 12.

St. Luke's continuation is thus ; "And immediately he arose up before them, and took up that, whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying GOD." -Chap. v. 25. This testimony of the grateful piety of the Object of CHRIST'S

twofold Compassion, is a further proof that our SAVIOUR Looked upon his heart, and found therein that faith, which worketh by love.

"But when the Multitude saw it, they marvelled, and glorified GOD, which had Given such power unto Men."-8.

To minds, unblinded by prejudice, but one sentiment could arise on Such a Manifestation of DIVINE Power and Goodness. The Multitudes naturally thought that though the Power was of DIVINE Origin, yet that it was only Imparted to CHRIST from The FATHER of Spirits. For JESUS had not then Revealed Himself to the Multitude as Very GOD, as well as Very Man: still the pious spirit, emanated from them, should equally have issued from the Scribes and Pharisees, when calmly contemplating the Goodness with which the Exercise of that Power was Crowned; and would have so done, had their hearts been single and right with GOD.

St. Mark's conclusion is thus; "Insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified GOD, saying, 'We never saw it on this fashion!'"-Chap. ii. 12.

St. Luke's as follows; "And they were all amazed, and they glorified GOD, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day!'"-Chap.

T. 26.

And as JESUS Passed forth from thence, He Saw a Man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of Custom; and He Saith unto him, 'Follow Me!' And he arose and followed Him."-9.

The Call to be an Apostle of The Blessed JESUS, though the most Distinguished Favour That could be Conferred by GOD on Man, was, in the letter, confined mostly to the Period of CHRIST'S Appearance upon Earth; still, as in SPIRIT, CHRIST is continually with His Church, so He still Calleth Such to be distinguished Ministers and Supporters of It, who, He Knows, will be faithful to their trust, and serve Him with singleness of heart: and upon whom the Grace of The HOLY SPIRIT is ever actively Operating to the Enabling them to fulfil the duties of their high and glorious Calling. Thus Election and Grace were Manifested in St. Matthew, who, notwithstanding the discouragement of his station and occupation to thoughts even of Religion, had a heart predisposed to the Service of GOD; and, by the influence of Grace powerfully Aiding that predisposition, was Elected to be an Apostle, as CHRIST, by His Foreknowledge, had, doubtless, Pre-Ordained and the manner of his fulfilling his Apostleship evidenced the Propriety of the Choice; for he was faithful unto the end. That GOD is no Respecter of Persons was forcibly demonstrated in the Selection of the Apostles: and hence, as a lesson of instruction, may be gathered what, to humble and pious Minds, inward sensation will sooner or later confirm, that GOD'S Grace is Sufficient for all things, and that It freely and fully Shines upon All, who will not shut their eyes against Its Guiding and Animating Light; but are willing and desirous to follow whithersoever It Leads them.

St. Mark's narrative is thus ; " And He (JESUS) Went forth again by the Sea-side and all the Multitude resorted unto Him, and He Taught them. And as He Passed by, He Saw Levi, the Son of Alpheus, sitting at the receipt of Custom, and Said unto Him, 'Follow Me!' And he arose, and followed Him." -Chap. ii. 13, 14.

This Spirit of Teaching, which our Blessed SAVIOUR so Graciously Put forth on every fitting occasion, must have been Profitable for Reproof and for Exhortation, not only to those, who heard the Discourses, but traditionally through them to many of their Families, Friends, and Neighbours, though the Particulars of Such Discourses have not formed Part of our Scriptural Treasury.

St. Luke's account is as follows; "And after these Things He (JESUS) Went forth, and Saw a Publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of Custom; and He Said unto him, 'Follow Me!' And he left all, rose up, and followed Him."Chap. v. 27, 28.

"And it came to pass, as JESUS Sat at meat in the house, behold, many Publicans and Sinners came and sat down with Him and His Disciples."-10.

What an instructive Lesson does this afford us for our dealings with our Fellow-Creatures, Shewing us that we should not confine our attentions or exertions to Persons moving in our own sphere, or concurring in our own pursuits of life, but extend them occasionally to Others, and Those even of principles and of practices most opposite and offensive to us; so long as there is any reasonable hope of doing good thereby: For The Blessed JESUS, The Very GOD, so Humbled Himself as not only to Take our Nature upon Him, but thus Associated occasionally with Publicans and Sinners, that by the Character and Attraction of His Conversation, as well as by His Preaching, He might Bring Some of them to serious reflection, and repentance, and from thence to faith and Salvation. And often did He Find more Success attending His Benevolent Efforts, when Directed towards Such apparently unpromising Objects, than when Addressed to the Self-righteous and Self-satisfied Scribes and Pharisees : Declaring that Publicans and Harlots go into The KINGDOM of HEAVEN, rather than they.

"And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto His Disciples, 'Why eateth your Master with Publicans and Sinners ?'"-11.

Thus in all ways did the envious and haughty Pharisees persecute The Gracious MESSIAH, Who Came avowedly to Call Sinners to repentance; opposing His Practice, misconstruing His Motives, and striving even to turn Him from His Purposes of Mercy, and to set even His Disciples against Him: at times accusing Him of having a Devil, and only casting out Devils by Beelzebub, the Prince of Devils: at other times, as on this occasion, virtually giving Him credit for purity and intended righteousness, but attempting to prevent their influence over the minds of those He was Eating with, by reprehending Him for associating with Persons of immoral and profligate character, and thence insinuating that the Discernment of The DIVINE Mind could not be in Him.

St. Luke's narrative is thus: "Then drew near unto Him (JESUS) all the Publicans and Sinners for to hear Him: and the Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying, This Man receiveth Sinners, and eateth with them.'"-Chap. xv. 1, 2.

The Impulse, That Led our SAVIOUR to Teach Sinners the Way of Salvation, prompted His Disciples to seek, by all means and appropriate associations, to recover Others from the grasp and subtlety of Satan: and such should be the aim of every Minister of the Gospel, who, as the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews beautifully suggests, "should have compassion on the Ignorant, and on Them, that are out of the Way."-Heb. v. 2.

St. Mark's account is as follows; "And it came to pass, that, as JESUS Sat at meat in his (Levi's or Matthew's) house, many Publicans and Sinners, sat also together with JESUS and His Disciples; for they were Many; and they followed Him. And when the Scribes and Pharisees saw Him Eat with Publicans and Sinners, they said unto His Disciples, How is it that He eateth and drinketh with Publicans and Sinners?'"-Chap. ii. 15, 16.

"But when JESUS Heard that, He said unto them, "They, that be whole, need not a Physician; but they that are sick.'"-12.

How Accordant was This Answer with the Wisdom and Goodness of Its GIVER! The force of the Observation must have been powerfully and poignantly felt by those, to whom it was Addressed; the Justice of It was indisputable: Its Agreement with the Merciful Character and Avowed Intentions of JESUS was obvious: Its Rebuke of them, who, though asserting, for worldly purposes, their own merits and righteousness, could not but inwardly be conscious of their want of a Physician to their sickly Souls and uncharitable Spirits, must have touched keenly their sensibility but still their pride was not subdued; for no outward confession and acknowledged disposition towards further teachableness manifested themselves: and though they were unable to reply to the Reasoning, yet did they not call for the Balm of DIVINE Counsel, to be Administered to them also, Which would have Expelled the pride of their understandings, and Removed the disordering influences of their prejudices; and Which The SAVIOUR of Souls was not less Willing than Able to Dispense, had He been but meekly asked to Do so.

"But go, ye, and learn, What That Meaneth, 'I will Have Mercy, and not Sacrifice!' for I am not Come to Call the Righteous, but Sinners, to repentance."-13.

CHRIST, however, having more Mercy for them, than they for themselves, Gives them, on their retiring in silence, (confounded, doubtless, by His Wisdom,) unanswerable Reasoning, Drawn from the very Scriptures on Which they professed to found their faith. The Prophet Hosea's Writings were referred to, where, in the same Spirit of desire to pour counsel and consolation to the Wanderers from the Paths of Righteousness, he says, "Come, and let us return unto The LORD; for He hath Torn; and He will Heal us: He hath Smitten; and He will Bind us up! We shall know, if we follow on to know The LORD, His Going forth is Prepared as the morning and He shall Come unto us as the Rain, as the latter and former Rain unto the Earth!" And after Remonstrating with Ephraim and with Judah for the fleeting nature of their proffered piety, The ALMIGHTY, by his Prophet, thus Declared Himself, "I Desired Mercy, and not Sacrifice; and the knowledge of GOD, more than burnt Offerings!"-Chap. vi. 1, 3, 6. So by the Prophet Micah it was Asked from The FOUNTAIN of Wisdom and Truth Itself, "What doth The LORD Require, but that we should do justly and love Mercy, and walk humbly with our GOD?"-Chap. vi. 8. Thus do we gather that, amidst the observance of the ceremonial part of the Law, an equal or a higher attention was to be paid to Its Spirituality. From the Text we learn that the Call to repentance, and the Promise Made thereon of Salvation, was addressed to All, for that All have sinned: and it is scarcely questionable (as has been before observed) that the Pharisees so understood it, since they offered no justification of themselves from the indirect Accusation against them, which This Admonition of JESUS Contained. And we have the authority of the Gentile Apostle, confirming this Description by CHRIST Himself of the Merciful Object of His Mission; "This is a faithful Saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that CHRIST JESUS Came into the World to Save Sinners."-1 Tim. i. 15. Let us, therefore, individually, look narrowly and without prejudice into our past Lives, weighing our thoughts, words, and deeds, and all that we have left undone, in their origin, motive, and immediate and remote effects, as well as we are able, and we shall then find how unrighteous we must appear in the Sight of An All-Perfect and Holy GOD; and that from the extent of our sinfulness, we should be sick unto death eternal, had we no Righteousness of CHRIST Interposed, in DIVINE Mercy, on our behalf. To Him, therefore, and His Graciously Atoning and Healing and Purifying Influences, should we flee

"

for Succour now in the time of this mortal Life, and whilst it is called "To-day ;' lest on the morrow, amidst the ever uncertainty of its approach, Death come upon us, and the last Day pass upon us, and find us, amidst the nakedness of our own righteousness, no longer possessing our Self-approval; but destitute alike of merit. and of hope, and our former false estimate of Ourselves proving the chief Source of our Self-condemnation, when repentance thereof will be too late. Let us, with all the seriousness and consistency in our power, shun that confidence in Selfdeservings, which would lead us, like the Spiritually proud Scribes and Pharisees, to reject The Counsel of The MOST HIGH, and to set at nought the Wisdom of His Blessed SON, and to think that we need not the Aid of That PHYSICIAN of Souls.

St. Mark's narrative of these two associated Texts, is thus ; "When JESUS Heard it, He Saith unto them, 'They, that are whole, have no need of the Physician; but they, that are sick: I Came not to Call the Righteous, but Sinners to repentance.'"-Chap. ii. 17.

St. Luke's account is almost in the same words; "And JESUS Answering, Said unto them, 'They, that are whole, need not a Physician; but they, that are sick I Came not to Call the Righteous, but Sinners to repentance.'"-Chap. v. 31, 32.

What our SAVIOUR thus Exemplarily Urged at the Outset of His Ministry, He Confirmed, at Its Close, even after His Resurrection, when He Enjoined the Same Doctrine of " Repentance and Remission of sins to be preached in His Name among all Nations."-Luke xxiv. 47. For as the Apostle Peter afterwards declared; "The LORD is Long-Suffering to us-ward, not Willing that Any should perish, but that All should come to repentance."-2 Peter iii. 9.

"Then came to Him (JESUS) the Disciples of John, saying, 'Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft; but Thy Disciples fast not ?'”—14.

John, the Forerunner of CHRIST, by abstinence and prayer, paved the way for repentance, as introductory to the Advent of Salvation: and as hope is swallowed up in fruition, so did the same rigid system of preparation, observed by the Baptist and his Disciples, give way to the Feast of Spiritual Joy, when CHRIST Appeared Bearing Salvation in His Hand. Sorrow and mourning in a Spiritual sense were then no more; but, to Faith in its fulness, all was solemn mirth and jubilee of heart; and not a cloud obscured the Glorious and Soul-Cheering Beams of The SUN of Righteousness. The fasts of the Disciples of John were, undoubtedly, fasts in the spirit of fervent piety: but those of Pharisees were, but too generally, ostentatious and hypocritical, made to catch the applause of Men; and not in desire of the Praise of GOD: this John's Disciples had been taught by their Master, since the Pharisees had fallen under the Baptist's severest displeasure and repeated reproofs: the Disciples, therefore, when ranking themselves with such Pharisees, could only have done so with the wish to be informed from the most Direct Source, why, even in appearance, CHRIST and His Disciples Suffered Themselves to be outdone in ceremonial observances by the hollow-hearted Pharisees; more particularly in that branch of duty, which the Followers of the Baptist had been taught by their Master as indispensably necessary to repentance and Salvation.

St. Mark's Narrative is thus; "And the Disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast and they come and say unto Him, (JESUS,) Why do the Disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Thy Disciples fast not?"" Chap. ii. 18.

St. Luke also writes; " And they (the Scribes and Pharisees,) said unto Him,