adminifter to others, any preternatural alleviation of their bodily fufferings.

FOR in the first place, it ferved to display that intimate knowledge of the human heart, which can proceed only from him, to whom all fecrets are known. This knowledge, it appears, our Lord poffeffed, and exhibited in the most extraordinary manner; but upon no occafions more, than in felecting objects for the exercife of his preternatural authority. Hence he could neither be entrapped by the snares of artifice, nor mifled by the profeffions of hypocrify, when any one folicited the performance of a cure; and hence he could try, with the utmost nicety, the permanence and conftancy of his disciples' belief; fince the power, which attended the call of faith, deferted them, when any doubt or incredulity hovered near their hearts. That this intimate knowledge of the most secret thoughts of men was judged peculiarly neceffary, and indeed indifpenfable, in a teacher divinely inspired, we may learn from a circumstance, which actually occurred in the course of our Lord's Miniftry. When a woman, who had been a finner, anointed Jefus while he was fitting

at

at meat with Simon the Pharifee, 'he who had bidden him, pake* within himself, faying, "This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who, and what manner of woman, this is that toucheth him: for fhe is a finner:" and thus proved it to be a natural notion, that a divine inftructor fhould be endued with that knowledge, which Jefus actually poffeffed. Jefus replied to his thoughts, thewed by a parable, that the woman's expreffion of her gratitude was reasonable, and, on account of her former and prefent marks of repentance, spake comfort to her, by thrice declaring, that her fins were remitted +.'

BUT fecondly, as our Lord was hereby enabled to difcern, fo, by questioning thus minutely the moral qualifications of the candidates for his favour, he evinced his determination to reward, a virtuous difpofition. That the faith, thus infifted upon, was intitled to remuneration, as being the evidence of fuch a difpofition, will, I trust, fully appear from the following confiderations,

*Luke vii. 39, &c.

IF

+ Newcome on our Lord's conduct, p. 119. The whole chapter deferves to be most carefully perufed.

Ꮓ

If it be allowed, that it is poffible, for the Deity to reveal his will to his creatures, it will readily be granted, that fuch an interpofition will be vouchsafed, to enlighten their ignorance, to reform their morals, and to propose such fanctions to virtue, and discouragements from vice, as may powerfully influence their conduct. It is also likely, that he will deal with his creatures in this, as in other instances that he will treat them as free agents, and not control their reason, or their will, to accept, or reject, the proffer, by fuch overpowering evidence, as to render hesitation, or disbelief impoffible. He is likely to deliver fuch precepts, accompanied by fuch atteftations, as are fufficient for the conviction of rational and good minds.-Now the evils, for the cure of which the poffibility of God's interference is admitted, must neceffarily have prevailed to a confiderable degree, before the neceffity of any departure from the ordinary methods of governing the world could exift. And it is undeniable, that from the very nature of the evils, proposed to be cured, there will arife various obftacles to the adoption of the remedy, fo graciously prescribed.

Ignorance is the

fruitful

fruitful fource of prejudice and errour; vicious practices entail upon the human heart a long train of cherished habits, difficult to be eradicated; and if the fanctions to be propofed are derived from the invisible world, no little courage and refolution will be required, to enable a man to resign prefent visible enjoyments, in the expectation of future rewards. The prejudices thus imbibed, the propenfities thus indulged, will prefent a formidable barrier to the reception of truth, even into well-difpofed minds; and the hold, which present and carnal objects take upon the fenfes, indifpofes them to receive a fpiritual doctrine, let the evidence, with which it is accompanied, be ever fo ftrong. Hence in fuch cafes it will not follow, that even the atteftation of miracles will compel affent from every spectator; -the obftinate prepoffeffions of the mind, and the darling gratifications of the body, will oppose confiderable difficulty, to the admiffion of doctrines the most useful, and rational, even when enforced by the most powerful evidence. Some good feeds of virtuous inclination must be fown in the heart, before it will confent to receive a law, which would correct opinions, and fubdue

Z 2

fubdue habits, fo long docility, with which fuch

foftered; the inftructions are

suffered to take root, must proceed from a moral quality of no ordinary merit; and the implicit belief of the declarations of a perfon, so commiffioned, will in such cases be the effect, and muft itself affume the name, of genuine virtue. If moreover the entertaining or avowing fuch sentiments be attended with any worldly inconvenience or hazard; if the fafety, or intereft, or reputation be thereby endangered; the moral effort will be fo much greater, and it's value enhanced in proportion. To embrace truth when it is unpopular, to adhere to it in fpite of reproach and inconvenience, will on all fides be allowed to be an indubitable test, both of fincerity and refolution. Belief, in fuch a cafe, is not the mere affent of the mind to a propofition, extorted by the weight of evidence, and producing no fruits upon the conduct; it is the change, heart and foul, of the whole thinking and acting man; it is the relinquifhment of obftinate prejudices; the abandonment of corrupt and depraved notions; the refignation of the whole felf to truth and virtue.

If, from abstract reasoning on the preexiftent,