thy faith hath made thee whole. Faith in the power of Christ to heal bodily diseases was never exercised in vain. And the instance in the text is set before us in order that we may have similar faith in Him for the healing of our souls. We all of us come into the world labouring under a malignant disease, which, if left to itself, will bring every patient not only to the grave, but to eternal misery. The momentous question is proposed to us by the preaching of the gospel of Christ, Wilt thou be made whole?30 Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only and the effectual remedy. If we believe in the efficacy of His atonement, and earnestly apply to Him for an interest in it, in order that its benefits may be extended to us, we may be assured that He will not reject our petition, nor send us empty away. It is to the believing application that the promise is made.

But unless we believe that He is able to give that which we desire to obtain, we shall not have recourse to Him. His Divine power is made known, in order that we may put our trust in Him. If then sin be our burden, if it lie heavy on our consciences, and we are unable to remove the load of guilt which oppresses us, let us believe the Divine declaration, that The blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanseth from all sin, and we shall enjoy peace with

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God. Instead of making resolutions in our own strength, respecting the future, let us implore pardoning mercy through the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world; let us rely upon His righteousness for our acceptance in the Divine presence; let us seek His grace, the influence of His Holy Spirit to renew and sanctify our souls. Then sin shall not have dominion over33 us; but we shall be enabled to mortify it day. by day, through the strength of the Lord, and in the power of His might. Faith in the almighty power of the Lord Jesus leads His people to trust in Him as their Shield and Protector, their Shepherd and. Guide. This brings consolation to their souls, such as the world cannot give, and which it cannot take away.

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The language of the text, Be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole, may be applied to all who confide in His atonement for pardon, in His righteousness for justification, and in the grace of His Holy Spirit for sanctification. They have a sure ground of consolation from relying on the Lord Jesus Christ, through life, in death, and to all eternity. But unless we are brought by Divine grace to discover the misery of our natural condition, and to apply earnestly for healing to the almighty Physician of souls, the text cannot be considered as addressing the language

32 John i. 29. 33 Romans vi. 14. 34 Ephesians vi. 10.

of consolation to us. If sin has not made you miserable, so that the remembrance of it is grievous to you, you are truly in a state much to be pitied; for there is reason to fear that it will involve you in misery for ever. You may love it now, but you will then see, and unavailingly lament your folly, when you find that space was given you for repentance, and yet you repented not; that the door of mercy was opened before you, and you entered not in. For then repentance and mercy will be clean gone for ever. God grant that we may all of us know in this our day the things that belong to our peace, before they are for ever hid from our eyes; that believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, we may be saved in Him with an everlasting salvation.

Now to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, Three Persons and One God, be all honour, glory, dominion, and praise ascribed, for evermore. Amen.

SERMON LX.

FOR

THE TWENTY FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

THE LONG-EXPECTED PROPHET.

John vi. 14.

THIS IS OF A TRUTH THAT PROPHET THAT

SHOULD COME INTO THE WORLD.

THE Gospel for this day was evidently appointed for the purpose of directing the minds of those who attend upon the services of our Church to the character which our Lord Jesus Christ sustained in the days of His flesh, during the time in which He showed Himself to the world, or that of His public ministry. On His entrance upon it, He was addressed by a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, We know that Thou art a Teacher come from God. In the course of it, those who heard Him speak, were constrained, by their admiration of the

g g

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gracious words which proceeded from His mouth, to exclaim, of a truth this is the Prophet. And when it had come to a close, we find Him termed by those who had been conversant with Him, A Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.36 As the general subject of the Gospel for this day was considered on the fourth Sunday in Lent, it will not be necessary to review it again. We may therefore direct our attention more particularly to the character which our Lord Jesus Christ sustained, and may be considered as still sustaining, towards His church and people, as the great Prophet of the house of God. We find the Apostle Peter, and the first martyr Stephen, both speaking of Him in this character, and referring to the prediction of Moses respecting Him, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. It was under this sanction that the Apostles of Christ called upon those whom they addressed, to attend to the testimony which our blessed Lord had delivered in the days of His flesh, and which they afterwards delivered as His witnesses, who were to bear witness con

35 John iii. 1,2, vii. 40. 36 Luke xxiv. 19. 37 Acts iii. 22, 23, vii.37.