relief, he gives him this caution, 'Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee," John v. 14: so when God hath healed these mortal wounds, which sin hath made in our souls, by his pardoning grace, it highly concerns us, with our most exact circumspection, to beware that we be not again entangled in guilt, and with our most fervent affections to pray that we may not be exposed to the fiery darts of the devil, to wound us anew; for relapses and backslidings are always most dangerous and fatal: new wounds received upon old scars are most difficult to be healed. And indeed, without this preventing grace of God, all his pardoning grace would be but in vain; it would be fruitless to forgive sins, if God did not withal secure us for the future from running upon the score with his justice; for such is the force and fraud of the tempter, and the corruption of our Own natures so prone to comply with whatsoever he offers and suggests to us, that did not God as well give us a stock to live upon, as forgive us our former debts, we should soon run ourselves as deep in arrears as ever, and make ourselves liable to be seized on by justice, and condemned to the infernal prison.HOPKINS.

That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. When Satan would have had Jesus fall down and worship him, "Jesus said unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship

shalt thou serve," Matt. iv. 10; which shows, that he judged it to be utterly unlawful to worship any but the true God, and detested the very mention of it; and yet he himself had such worship often performed to him. to him. A leper worshipped him, Matt. viii. 2; a certain ruler worshipped him, Matt. ix. 18; the woman of Canaan worshipped him, Matt. xv. 25; the man that was born blind worshipped him, John ix. 32; his own disciples worshipped him, Matt. xiv. 33; the women that came to his sepulchre after he was risen worshipped him, Matt. xxviii. 9; his apostles also worshipped him after his resurrection, Matt. xxviii. 17; and again at his ascension, Luke xxiv. 52. All these, and doubtless many others, worshipped him, and yet he never rebuked them for it; as he would certainly have done, if he had not been the true God, to whom alone such worship was due, according to his own words. All acknowledge him to be a good man; but no good man, nor any good creature whatever, would have suffered himself to be thus worshipped as a God, without reproving those who did it. When Cornelius fell down to worship Peter, he took him up saying, "Stand up, I myself also am a man," Acts x. 25, 26. When the Priest of Jupiter, with the men of Lystra, would have done sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas, the apostles rent their clothes, and ran in among them, crying out and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like

passions with you," Acts xiv. 14, 15. When St. John would have worshipped the angel, the angel said to him "See thou do it not; I am thy fellowservant; worship God." Rev. xix. 10; xxii. 9. But we find nothing of this in Christ. When people worshipped him, he never forbade them, nor reproved them for it; but accepted of it, and shewed himself to be well pleased with it, by working miracles for them that did it: which he would never have done if he had not been the true God, whom all the creatures in the world are bound to worship. But it is no wonder that he accepted of Divine worship when it is the Divine command, that "all the angels of God worship him," Heb. i. 6. "That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father," John v. 23. And, "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil. ii.

10, 11.-BEVERIDGE.

HYMN.

Our song shall be of Jesu's love,
Who left the heavenly courts above
To bear our guilt and shame ;
Th' eternal uncreated Word,
Both David's son, and David's Lord,
Jehovah is his name.

Thou King of kings, and Lord of lords,
Convert our hearts to hear thy words,
Thy wondrous grace to tell;
Wake, harp of Judah, bear the sound
Far as creation's utmost bound;
All hail! Immanuel,

с

33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

35 He was a burning and da shining light and "ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for • the works which the Father

hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

h

39 *Search the scriptures : for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and 'they are they which testify of me.

i

time, nor seen his shape.

38 And ye have not his word abiding in you for whom he

p ch. iii. 16, 18; & vi. 40, 47; & viii. 51 ; & xx 31.-g 1 John iii. 14.-r ver. 28. Eph. ii. 1,5; & v. 14. Col. if. 13.-s ver. 22.-Acts x. 42; & xvii. 31.- Dan. vii. 13, 14. - Is. xxvi. 19. 1 Thes. iv. 16. 1 Cor. xv. 52.- Dan. xii. 2. Mat. xxv. 32, 33, 46.-y ver. 19.-z Mat. xxvi. 39. ch. iv. 34; & vi. 38.-a See ch. viii. 14. Rev. iii. 14.—b ch. viii. 18.1 John v. 5, 6, 7. 9. -ech. i. 15, 19, 27, 32.-d 2 Pet. i. 19.-e See Mat. xiii. 20; & xxi. 26. Mark vi. 20.-f1 John v. 9.-g ch. ili 2; & x. 25 ; & xv. 24.- Mat. iii. 17: & xvii. 5. ch. vi. 27; & viii. 18.-i Deut. iv. 12. ch. 1. 18. 1 Tim. i. 17. John iv. 12.-k Is. viii. 20; & xxxiv. 16. Luke xvi. 29. ver. 46. Acts xvii. 11.- Deut. xviii. 15, 18. Luke xxiv. 27. ch. i. 45.-m ch. i. 11 ; & iii. 19.-n ver. 34. 1 Thes. ii. 6.-0 ch. xii. 43.-p Rom. ii. 29.- Rom. ii. 12.Gen. ii. 15: & xii. 3; & xviii. 18; & xxii. 18; & xlix. 10. Deut. xviii. 15, 18. ch. i. 45. Acts xxvi. 22.

READER.-Verily, verily I say unto you, &c. Our Lord proceeded to state certain decisive proofs, in support of the claims which he made. Our reason is appealed to in confirmation of our faith: and evidence in abundance may be adduced, to convince us that our holy religion is no foolish fancy or base imposition. The Gospel does not evade, but challenges and demands, a fair inquiry. Accordingly, Jesus did not rest the matter upon his own mere assertions, which which might might appear suspicious, but showed, by a variety of arguments, that he was the very person whom he declared himself to be.

He appealed to the testimony of John the Baptist, who had seen the Spirit of God descending in an open manner upon him, and heard a voice from heaven affirming his his high character. To him they had once appeared to pay attention, and had sent a deputation to consult him; and yet they would not abide by his decision.

He referred them to his own miracles, in attestation of his Divine mission. He had performed such wonderful works as no human power ever could effect: these, therefore, sufficiently evinced that he could not be a deceiver, but was indeed, what he uniformly maintained, the Saviour that should come into the world.

He alleged that his Father himself had borne witness of him: he had done it, not only by the communication of extraordinary gifts, but by an express declaration that

Jesus was his beloved Son. Such an evidence as this had not been vouchsafed on any other occasion. Yet to what purpose was it then given? Alas! it rendered many

the more inexcusable for their unbelief, as they hardened their hearts against conviction.

He directed them, likewise, to the testimony of the Holy Scriptures. These were the writings of the Old Testament, which they all acknowledged, and professed to receive with the highest regard. To these Divine oracles he made a solemn appeal, in vindication of his own claims, and exposed the inconsistency of pretending reverence for the sacred records, and at the same time rejecting the Saviour, whom they all concurred in pointing out. The inspired authors are witnesses of Christ, either by types, promises, or prophecies; and since Jesus has exactly fulfilled those ancient descriptions, they illustrate and confirm his declarations. How strange is it then, that any, who have the Bible in their hands, should remain in ignorance of him! How absurd and sinful is the general inattention of men to the important contents of that book, which they allow to be a revelation from heaven!

Thus Jesus endeavoured to convince the Jews of his character and mission, and of the justice of those claims which he advanced. And are not we also interested in the subject? Do we, then, receive Christ Jesus the Lord, as he is set forth before us? Do we unfeignedly bow to his authority, and confess him to

be "the Lord from heaven," "God over all?" Much has been said and written about the want of evidence; the same outcry was raised among the unbelieving Jews, "What sign showest thou?" This question was urged again and again, even where proofs in abundance were produced. And nothing is more common than for those, who are determined not to be persuaded, to allege that no decisive arguments are brought, to gain them over to the side of Christianity. It is preposterous that men should make this complaint, and affect to be ready to give every testimony its due consideration, when we know that they refuse to examine with serious attention; nay, that they contemptuously shut their eyes and stop their ears against, every thing which opposes their favourite scheme. We doubt not that the grand cause of infidelity is insincerity, and an extreme depravity of heart. And such reasons as these do not form an excuse for freethinkers, but rather furnish the grounds of their condemnation. Observe, then, from what source your objections to the Christian doctrines arise; and fear lest you should not conduct your religious inquiries with diligence and honesty, with meekness and solemnity. That your minds may be more deeply impressed with the importance of the subject, weigh carefully the conclusion of our Lord's address, in which he subjoins the most pointed admonitions.

In our application to men who are utterly careless and indifferent, we must not content ourselves with

cold reasoning, but endeavour to alarm their consciences, or else the strongest arguments will fail of their effect. Thus Jesus, upon the occasion before us, attempted to rouse his hearers, and to work upon their hearts, by a plain and faithful representation of the nature, malignity, and danger of their sin. As it is probable that some persons of a similar character and disposition may cast their eyes upon these pages, we would earnestly entreat their serious regard to the considerations here suggested.

His

He warned and reproved his opposers, because they acted in contempt of his unparalleled kindness, and most gracious offers of salvation, when their own final perdition must be the consequence. He declared that he courted not their favour through ambitious views, and that their destruction would be entirely owing to their obstinate refusal of submission to him. knowledge of their very thoughts and motives enabled him to detect their hypocrisy, and therefore he observed that their treatment of him fully proved, notwithstanding their professions of regard to God, that their hearts were not under the influence of Divine love. That principle would have led them to receive him, who addressed them in his Father's name, and sought nothing but his Father's glory. So likewise will all our pretences either to devotion or morality be found vain and insincere, if we neglect the great Saviour of the world.

He condemned them for their