Capernaum, was to the east toward Jordan, and into Samaria; and again, toward the west into Galilee; and then from Galilee toward the south to Jerusalem. A long journey, indeed, and in a very circuitous direction, and which must have required much time. Nor did he undertake this tedious travelling on his own account, but that he might thereby preach unto many, and be a help unto them. And with this intent he passed through many nations; that he might walk about in public and be within the reach of all, that they might come unto him, hear him, and be healed by him. For to that end he was sent, that he might be open unto all, and that all might freely and gratuitously partake of his benefits and grace.

And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

Here, perhaps, some one may be curious enough to ask of the evangelist, how these lepers, standing afar off, could lift up their voices, when those who are under this disease, generally have a hoarseness upon them, and for that reason use a kind of wooden clappers instead of their voice? Such an one may receive for answer, that these lepers were not a mile from Christ, but a little farther off than those who immediately followed him. Nor were all the lepers so far deprived of their voice, but that they could be heard, although they were at some distance. But the Evangelist, according to the manner of the scriptures, would by this shew the greatness of what they felt; which made them raise the cry of the heart, and forced them to make as much noise with their mouths as they possibly could. The whole of this history is most plain to be understood, and does not require any laboured interpretation. And, indeed, as its explication is simple and obvious, so the matter which it contains is of the greatest importance. For in the case of shese lepers, it sets forth to us faith, and exhibits, in Christ, a display of love.

Now these two things, to believe and to love, make up the whole sum of Christianity: and this is what I inculcate again and again. Faith receives, love gives forth again. Faith leads man to God, love allures him

unto men.

By faith he passively submits himself to be crowned with benefits from God, and by love he bestows those benefits again on men. For, whosoever believeth, obtaineth all things from God, and is rich and happy. And therefore, he wants nothing himself, and he lays out his whole life, and whatever he does, to the benefit and profit of his neighbour; on whom, through love, he bestows his benefits as he himself has received them from God by faith. And thus, by faith he receives blessings from above of God; and below, he bestows them on his neighbour through love. But, on the contrary, the justiciaries, by their merits and good works, fight against this way of life, living to themselves only, and labouring at good works without faith. These two things therefore as it were of Christianity, faith and love, as set forth in the lepers and in Christ, let us now consider more particularly.

FIRST, then, the nature of faith is, to have a firm reliance on the grace of God, not to have any doubt of his good-will being inclined towards us, and to believe stedfastly, without any hesitation, that he has a care upon him to be a help for us under all our necessities. Now, where there is no such a reliance, and no such a persuasion concerning God, there can be no true faith; and then the prayers must of necessity be cold, neither can there be any true affection going out to God. On the other hand, where this reliance and persuasion are, they render the man animated and courageous; so that he is emboldened by this sensible reliance to lay his calamity before God, and implore his help.

Wherefore, it is not enough to believe the existence of God, and to weary his ears with long prayers, (which abuse of things has now most perniciously prevailed among Christians.) Rather, look at these lepers, and contemplate the display of faith in them!-how it teaches, without the help of any master, to pray success

fully. See what a steady faith in Christ, and what sure persuasion of his accessibleness they had, not at all dreading any repulse from him! Their minds being buoyed up and confirmed by these hopes, they were emboldened to call upon Christ, and to lay their misery before him, entreating with an earnest cry a release from their disease. For, had they not first conceived these feelings toward him, they would have remained in their house, and would not have run after him with so much concern, nor have lifted up their voices to cry unto him. Nay, this scruple would have arisen in their minds. What are we going to do? Who knows that he will take it well at our hands, if we pray unto him? Perhaps he will disdain us! A fluctuating and wavering faith of this kind prays with fear and trembling, and does not lift up its voice, nor run willingly towards God. It mutters, indeed, many words, and makes all things sound again with a great noise, but it rather wants a thing with great pride than humbly prays for it, and it would be first sure whether or not it should be heard, which is no less than tempting God. But true faith in the merciful and good will of God, does not distrust; and for that reason, the prayer is powerful and effectual, as the faith is itself. Nor is it in vain that Luke notices these three particulars concerning the lepers;-first, that they " met him:" secondly, that they "stood:" and thirdly, that they "lifted up their voices." In these three things their faith is displayed, and an example is afforded for us to follow.

This meeting signifies a courage, which, through a sure confidence in Christ, emboldened them to meet him. And their standing signifies an immovable and fixed mind, not having any scruples in itself. Their earnest cry shews that fervency in prayer which arises out of such a confidence. Whereas, on the other hand, a mean doubting, neither goes straight forward, nor fixes itself still, nor lifts up its voice, but is carried about here and there, and miserably tormented; its countenance is cast down, and its hand under its head; now and then it opens its mouth, and then mutters, Who knows, -'Who can tell,'-' If it were but certain,' - Suppose all this hope should end in nought,'-and other mutterings of the same kind, betokening despair. It has no good persuasion concerning God: it cannot bring up the mind to a certain expectation of any thing from him: therefore, it is but just that it should receive nothing: according to that of James, 'He that setteth himself to ask any thing of God, let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that prayeth wavering, let him not think that he shall obtain any thing of God,' &c. It was thus with the foolish virgins. They came with their oil out, and their lamps empty; that is, stuffed up with their own works, and knocked at the door with great fury, hoping to be admitted, but no one opened unto them.

Behold this persuasion concerning God, and this confidence of obtaining every good, being conceived in an enlarged and free mind, is what the scripture calls the Christian faith, and " a good conscience:" unto which, every one that shall be saved, must attain. But at this no one can arrive by mere works and doctrines, as we shall make it plainly appear in this exposition. For, unless thou have the mind above-mentioned, thou canst do no good works at all. Take heed therefore that thou be not deceived. Many men that have a plenty of words, have taken upon themselves to teach concerning faith and a good conscience, having themselves no more experience therein than a common post, but persuading themselves, that the whole is nothing more than a certain knowledge lying coldly asleep in the soul; and that it is enough if the heart believe, that that God exists, about whom it hears. But you may see, in the present case, what a lively and powerful thing faith is; seeing that, it brings the heart of man, and so the whole man, into that sensible experience, that he through hope expects from God every good. And hence it constrains to a going forward, to a standing fast, and causes the lifting up of the voice: and, resting in the goodness of God, it prays without wavering for the removing away of every evil.

The SECOND property of faith is, that it does not first want to inquire whether it may be sure and certain that God has condescended to receive it into his grace, and whether or not he will hear it when it prays, as these wavering ones do who tempt God, and want to take hold of him with their hands as a blind man takes hold of a wall; for it is thus that these lay hold of God, and want to hold him safe in their hands lest he should slip away from them. But Paul saith, Heb. xi. that "faith is the evidence of things not seen;" that is, faith rests in those things which cannot be beheld nor laid hold of by any sense of the body or soul, stands in that persuasion which it has conceived concerning God, and commits itself wholly unto it; nothing doubting, that it shall obtain its hope, and be most assuredly brought to the enjoyment of it. And this sensible persuasion comes upon the man, without his first seeking it, or expecting any such thing, and is effected by this faith and confidence.

I pray you who sent any letter signed and sealed to these lepers to assure them that Christ would hear them? And when this sensible persuasion of his grace came upon them, who, interposing his faith, commanded them to have a good hope and not to doubt at all of his goodness? There were none of these things whatever. There was nothing but their own encouraged mind, freely yielding itself up to the goodness of Christ: of which, however, they neither had a sense, a taste, nor an experience. Nay, they had no traces whatever whereby they could feel out what he would do with them. They fixed their eyes solely and only on his goodness: which had given birth to such confidence in them, that they did not doubt but they should have the enjoyment of the benefits of Christ. Whence then did they get their knowledge of his goodness? (For they must have had some kind of previous knowledge of it, how far soever they might be from the experience and feeling sense of it.) No doubt, from the great fame that was every where spread abroad concerning him. They had heard how ready he was to bestow his benefits on all, even on