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surances of mercy: "Suffer little children to come to me: it is not the will of my Father, that one of "these little ones should perish." Though the youngest, and the least, they are still the brethren of the Redeemer. They share his love; let them share yours. "A cup of cold water only given to one of "these little ones in the name of a disciple, shall in no wise lose its reward."

But it is in your power to give them much more. You have given them much more: you have ministered; continue still to minister. Through your bounty it is, that they now appear in this sacred place; their bodies neatly clothed, their minds duly instructed, and qualified with us to worship our God in the beauty of holiness. A pleasant and confortable sight it is to behold. The world cannot show us one that is more so. Consider them as fully included in the case before us. They are in want; and they bear a near relation to Christ. They can hardly be thought, at this tender age, to have forfeited the high privileges of their baptism, in which they were made "members of Christ, children of God, and "heirs of the kingdom of heaven." And much, indeed, may it depend upon you, whether they ever do forfeit them; the great design of these excellent institutions being to afford them opportunities of instruction, which their friends are unable to give or procure for them; to ground them well in such religious principles as may render them good and useful members of society, conduct them safe through a world of temptations, and bring them to never-ending glory. But the support of the institution which is

to do this for them, depends upon your farther bounty. On this, destitute of every other help, they, under the providence of God, rely; on you their eyes and hopes are fixed, for the continuance of every advantage: and every advantage they enjoy will be continued to them, by the liberality of all such among you as shall duly meditate upon the affecting scene I have been endeavouring to represent.

This affecting scene you will as surely see, these affecting words of the great Judge you will as surely hear, as he who has declared you shall see and hear them, is faithful and true.

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One thing only remains to be mentioned, that He who shall address those on the right hand in the gracious language of the text, shall afterward say also to "them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye "cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil "and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took "me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick "and in prison, and ye visited me not.' their asking, likewise, when he was seen of them in any of these afflicting circumstances, and they had thus ungratefully denied him relief, he shall answer them; "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these my brethren, ye did "it not to me." The final separation is then to be made, and that gulf fixed between them which cannot be passed; "And these"-such as had neglected to perform works of charity-" these shall

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go away into everlasting punishment; but the righ"teous," they who had performed them, "into life "eternal." The brethren of Christ are before youMake your choice.

101

DISCOURSE VIII.

THE PARALYTIC HEALED.

MATTHEW, IX. 2.

And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

THE active and elementary parts of nature, wheresoever they exist, will manifest themselves by their effects; fire will warm, light will shine, aromatics will send forth sweet odours. Jesus in like manner, on all occasions, discovers himself to be what his name implies, the SAVIOUR; leaving behind him, in every place, the warmth of fervent charity, the light of evangelical doctrine, and the fragrance of a good report concerning something done for the benefit of man, and the glory of God. He goeth about, not to gratify or to profit himself, but to diffuse his beneficence. He either teaches, or comforts, or raises from the dead; or heals, or feeds, or delivers, or departs into solitude to pray. And all for us. For us he preaches, that we may learn the truth; for us he heals, and performs other miracles, that we may

believe him; for us no less he retires, for us he prays, for us he gives thanks to his Father. Thus he changes his situation often, his disposition never; in this, as well as other things, "leaving us an example, that "we should follow his steps," and not suffer any outward difference of circumstances to make us forget our Christian profession.

The Gergesenes, as we find by the conclusion of the preceding chapter, preferring the preservation of their swine to the salvation of their souls, and, therefore, "desiring him to depart out of their coasts; he "entered into a ship, and passed over, and came "into his own city, Capernaum," i. e. the city not where he was born, but where he lived; a trafficking, luxurious, proud city; and for that reason, as mercy looks out for the miserable, and a physician for them that are sick, chosen by him; who, though the only man that ever was without sin, disdained not to dwell and converse with sinners, seeing he came to call such to repentance.

Here it was that he performed the miracle mentioned in the text, which it is the design of the following discourse first to illustrate, and then to apply.

It being, "noised about," as St. Mark in his account informs us, "that Jesus was returned to Ca

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pernaum, and was in a certain house in the town, "straightway many were gathered together, inso"much that there was no room to receive them, no "not so much as about the door; and he," who always rejoiced much more to teach than any could do to learn of him, "preached the word" of life and

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