READER. Then met him ten men that were lepers, &c. What a noble and irrefragable testimony was this to the power, to the truth of the Messiah! How can these Jews but either believe, or be made inexcusable in not believing? When they shall see so many lepers come at once to the temple, all cured by a secret will, without word or touch, how can they choose but say, This work is supernatural; no limited power could do this: how is he not God, if his power be infinite? Their own eyes shall be witnesses and judges of their own conviction. The cure is done by Christ more exquisitely than by art or nature; yet it is not publicly assured and acknowledged, till, according to the Mosaical law, certain subsequent rites be performed. There is no admittance into the congregation, but by sprinkling of blood. O Saviour, we can never be assured of our cleansing from that spiritual leprosy wherewith our souls are tainted, but by the sprinkling of thy most precious blood: wash us with that, and we shall be whiter than snow. This act of showing to the priest, was not more required by the law, than prerequired of these lepers by our Saviour, for the trial of their obedience. Had they now stood upon terms with Christ, and said, "We will first see what cause there will be to show ourselves to the priests; they need not see our leprosy, we shall be glad they should see our cure; do thou work that which we shall show, and bid us show what thou hast wrought; till then excuse us; it is our grief and shame to be seen too much;" they had been stil lepers. It hath been ever God's wont, by small precepts to prove men's dispositions. Obedience is as well tried in a trifle as in the most important charge; yea, so much more, as the thing required is less: for oft-times those who would be careful' in main affairs, think they may neglect the smallest. What command soever we receive from God, or our superiors, we must not scan the weight of the thing, but the authority of the commander. Either difficulty or slightness is a vain pretence for disobedience. These lepers are wiser: they obeyed and went. What was the issue? "As they went, they were healed." Lo! had they stood still, they had been lepers; now they went, they are whole. What haste the blessing makes to overtake their obedience ! This walk was required by the very law, if they should have found themselves healed: what was it to prevent the time a little, and to do that sooner upon hopes, which upon sense they must do after? The horror of the disease adds to the grace of the cure, and that is so much more gracious as the task is easier: it shall cost them but a walk. It is the bounty of that God whom we serve, to reward our worthless endeavours with infinite requitals. He would not have any proportion betwixt our acts and his remunerations. Yet, besides this recompence of obedience, O Saviour, thou wouldest herein have respect to thine own just glory. Had not these lepers been cured in the way, but in the end of their walk, upon their shewing to the priests, the miracle would have lost much light: perhaps the priests would have challenged it to themselves, and have attributed it to their prayers: perhaps the lepers might have thought it was thy purpose to honour the priests as the instruments of that marvellous cure. Now there can be no colour of any other's participation, since the leprosy vanishes in the way. As thy power, so thy praise, admits of no partners. forget them; they are worthy of more than our memory. His favours are universal, over all his works; there is no creature that tastes not of his bounty; his sun and rain are for others besides his friends, but none of his good turns escape either his knowledge or record. Why should not we, O God, keep a book of our receipts from thee, which, agreeing with thine, may declare thee bounteous, and us thankful? Our Saviour doth not ask this by way of doubt, but of exprobation, Full well did he count the steps of those absent lepers: he knew where they were; he upbraids their ingratitude, that they were not where they should have been. It was thy just quarrel, O Saviour, that while one Samaritan returned, nine Israelites were healed, and returned not. Had they been all Samaritans, this had been faulty; but now they were Israelites, their ingratitude was more foul than their leprosy. The more we are bound to God, the And now, methinks, I see what an amazed joy there was among these lepers, when they saw themselves thus suddenly cured: each tells other what a change he feels in himself; each comforts other with the assurance of his outward cleanness; each congratulates others happiness, and thinks and says, How joyful this news will be to their friends and families. Their society now serves them well to applaud and heighten their new felicity. How sensible wert thou, O Saviour, more shameful is our unthankfulof thine own beneficence! "Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” The trooping of these lepers together did not hinder thy reckoning. It is both justice and wisdom in thee to keep a strict account of thy favours. There is a wholesome and useful art of forgetfulness in us men, both of benefits done and of wrongs offered. It is not so with God: our injuries indeed he soon puts over, making it no small part of his style that he "forgives iniquities:"-but for his mercies, there is no reason he should ness. There is scarce one in ten that is careful to give God his own; this neglect is not more general than displeasing. Christ had never missed their presence, if their absence had not been hateful and injurious. HALL. HYMN. O Jesus! full of truth and grace, In mercy look and take me in! Thou knows't the way to bring me back, Of the kingdom of God, and the coming of the Son of man. 20 ¶ And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 'Neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, lo there! for behold, "the kingdom of God is "within you. 22 And he said unto the disciples, "The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. the lightning, days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 8 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man "is revealed. 31 In that day, "he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33Whosoever shall seek 24 ❜ For as p that lighteneth out of the one to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 34 "I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken and the other left. 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man : 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of shall be mine adversary. one 35 Two women grinding together; the shall be taken and the other left. 36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. Or, with outward shew-l ver. 23.-m Rom. xiv. 17. Or, among you, John i. 26.-n See Mat. ix. 15. John xvii. 12.-0 Mat. xxiv. 23. Mark xiii. 21. ch. xxi. 8. Mat. xxiv. 27.-q Mark viii. 31; & ix. 21 ; & x. 33. ch. ix. 22-r Gen. vii. Mat. xxiv. 37.-8 Gen. xix.- Gen. xix. 16, 24.- 2 Thes. i. 7.- Mat. xxiv. 17. Mark xiii. 15.-y Gen. xix. 26.-z Mat. x. 39; & xvi. 25. Mark viii. Thes. iv. 17.- This 36th verse is wanting in most of the Greek copies.- 6 Job. xxxix. 30. Mat. xxiv. 28. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 © And shall not God avenge his own elect which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? d 8 I tell you that he will 35. ch. ix. 24. John xii. 25.-a Mat xviv. 40, 41. avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? See LXXVIII. Matthew XXVI. 34-51. § CCXI. e 9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into Of the importunate widow. Of the Pharisee and the other a publithe temple to pray, the one a CHAP. XVIII, 1—14. Pharisee and Publican. AND he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint; can. g 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as tions with fresh vigour, and to "give this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. him no rest till he vouchsafe to grant us deliverance and comfort. The efficacy of such continued fervour in our addresses to God is ex hibited in a short parable. A poor distressed widow, under great oppression, earnestly solicited the interference of a magistrate in her behalf, that she might obtain justice. He being destitute of every good principle both toward God and man, her cause; but at length he con refused for some time to undertake 14 I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other," for eve-sented, merely that he might be freed ry one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. a ch. xi. 5; & xxi. 36. Rom. xii. 12. Eph. vi. 18 Col. iv. 2. 1 Thess. v. 17.-† Gr. in a certain city-b ch. xi. 8. c Rev. vi. 10.-d Heb. x. 37. 2 Pet. iii. 8, 9.-e ch. x. 29; & xvi. 15.- Or, as being righteous -f Ps. cxxxv. 2.-g Is. i. 15; & viii. 2. Kev. iii. 17.- Job xxii. 29. Mat. xxiii. 12. ch. xiv. 11. James iv. 6. 1 Pet. v. 5, 6. READER. And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.-Probably with a view to encourage his disciples under the prospect of their approaching difficulties, Jesus exhorted them to pray, and to urge their requests with unceasing ardour. Let us attend to his counsel: "Men ought ALWAYS to pray," at all times, and in all the various circumstances of life. Though many difficulties attend the practice of the duty, and our petitions seem to be rejected, we are "not to faint." Our fears may suggest that "God hath forgotten to be gracious," and that it were vain to hope for his mercy; yet we are here taught to renew our applica from the trouble of her importunity. Jesus has directed us to draw the proper conclusion from this little history. The Lord God may seem regardless of the incessant cries of his afflicted people for a considerable season: but still they should persevere in their ardent supplications, and expect his gracious interposition. Like holy Jacob, they should wrestle with him, and say, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." Then will he rescue them from the oppression of their spiritual enemies, and satisfy the desires of their souls. Yet, great as this encouragement is, how few are animated by it! Do not some appear so disheartened, and so "faint in their minds," as to grow remiss and almost abandon their hope? Thus Jesus lamented, that upon his coming, he should find but little faith on the earth. And should this be the day of his visitation among ourselves, we fear that the number of firm and lively believers would be proved to be small indeed. Ah! why do we distrust |