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He speaks of himself indeed John xiv. 28; Mat. xxiv, 36; John v, 17,-30, as inferior to the Father, and ignorant of fome things. In other texts he reprefents himself, or is reprefented by the apostles, as equal to the Father, and knowing all things. vain it is urged, that Jefus only termed himself God, in the sense in which magiftrates have their titles, Pfalm lxxxii. When he told his enemies," My Father worketh hitherto, and I work," as claiming equality with God; inftead of charging them with mif taking his meaning, he tells them he did..." like works with his Father;" that he was entitled to like honour; and exifted and lived in the fame manner, John v. 21, 23, 26, &c.

The apoftles preached Jefus to the Jews, with whom idolatry was treafon against God and their conftitution; and to Heathens, who were ftrongly attached to idolatry; to both in a manner fhame. fully imprudent, if they meant not that their Mafter should be worshipped as God. I fee not therefore how Dr. Prieftley's scheme fhould pave the way for our nation becoming Chriftians. He cannot remove their offence at a crucified man being reprefented as GOD, unless by keeping from them the books of the New Teftament, and perfuading them to believe, on his authority, a different account of Jefus than is there exhibited. One who, if he be only the fon of Mary, affumed to himself divine honour, whatever other works of the Meffiah apply to him, must be an impoftor. But if he be indeed a divine Perfon, this fulfills the expectations which the Old Testament raised of the Meffiah, as, "GOD with us,” and "the Lord our righteousness." If he was not God, the world is indebted to Mahomet for delivering fo great a part of it from the idolatry of honouring him as they honour God: And what fhall become of me, if I fhould acknowledge fuch a blafphemer as the Meffiah? But if he is indeed God, What shall become of me? What shall become of my nation? What shall become of those who, calling themfelves by his Name, debafe his dignity? Alas! Where I hoped to find comfort, I fink into an abyfs of doubts.

I find a temporary relief in unbofoming to you my perplexity. Yet, alas, how imperfect! My friend laughs at all religion, and what comfort can I expect from him? I fometimes think of writing to your nephew, S. C. who is fo learned in our religion, and, like Mofes Mendelfoon, feems to have embraced it on examination. May I venture this? Dare I confide in his fecrecy and tolerant fpirit? Or, is there any danger left he expose me. I intreat your advice.

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ISRAEL C. to JOSEPH DE L.

Maarfan, O&. g, 1785. Am no longer difpofed to laugh at religion, or to plead that Chriftianity has no comforts in death. I witneffed the laft moments of my worthy gardener, and wifh I may die his death; and if there is happiness in another life, this difciple of Jefus is aredly happy. When the Phyfician told him, he was in ex

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treme danger. How," (faid he) "can that be, when God is my Father, Jefus my Redemer, heaven my country, and death the messenger of peace? The greateft rifk I run is to die; but to "die is to enter into complete and endless blifs." Next follows his edifying conversation with the infidel Phyfician, and with a Socinian gentleman. His last words were, "I die; but what "need that trouble me? My Jefus is the true God, and eternal "life." I could not but impart what, according to your taste and ideas, must be interefting. You fee, I can be serious, ISRAEL C.

Reflections on the Healing of the PARALYTIC: Matt. ix. 2. [Extracted from a late eminent Writer.]

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OME good neighbours and friends of this unhappy man, it feems, who by the nature of his disease was rendered incapable of helping himself, were fo kind as to carry him, between four of them, where they knew he might have relief. For it is plain, by the pains they took, that they had no doubt but Chrift could and would heal him, if they could only contrive to place fuch a fpectacle before his eyes. But here was the difficulty. For upon bringing their burden to the house, they found such a crowd of people even about the door, that there was no room for a single perfon more to get in, much lefs for four, with fo ponderous and cumbrous a'load. What therefore is to be done? Shall they give it over, and return without having accomplished that for which they came? A lukewarm charity would have done fo, contenting itself with the effort it had made, and concluding it impoffible to do any thing more. But these men were not to be difcouraged. They thought therefore of an expedient, and imme diately put it in practice, the relation of which we cannot fo wellunderstand, without confidering that the houfes in the eastern countries were built very low, and with a flat roof, in which there was a kind of trap door, as the inhabitants often used to go up from within, and fpend fome time upon the house top. The friends of the fick man therefore having contrived to raise the bed to the roof (as it was not unufual to have a paffage likewife by ftairs on the ouifide of the houfe,) they broke open the aforementioned door that was therein (fastened probably on the infide,) and let down the bed, fufpended by ropes, into the midst of the affembly, before Jefus,

The meek and gracious Redeemer was not at all offended at being thus interrupted, but highly approves the faith of those who had fuch confidence in him, as to let no difficulties and difcouragements prevent their laying the fick man at his feet, in order to the obtaining of a cure. So much doth an operating, fteady, perfevering faith avail, not only for ourselves, but likewife for our · VOL. XIX. June, 1796.

poor

poor fick brethren and neighbours; whom it is our duty to prefent to Chrift by our prayers, as the friends of the man fick of the pally presented him. For here is nothing mentioned about his faith, but only that of his bearers-"Jefus feeing their faith." The duty of interceding for the afflicted-incumbent on allcannot be more forcibly recommended by this circumstance of the miracle before us. Nor indeed will it ever be known, till the day of judgment, how many thousand bleffings both temporal and fpiritual have been brought down by the effectual fervent prayers of the faithful on the heads of fuch as, like the poor Paralytic, could not pray for themselves.

And now it might be expected, that Jefus would by the word of his power command the fick man immediately to "arife and "walk." But instead of addreffing him upon the fubject of his bodily disorder, he fays to him—"Son, be of good cheer; thy "fins be forgiven thee." Here was the proof of an able and experienced Phyfician, who would not fkin the wound over, but trike directly at the root, and remove the cause of the malady, which was fin, For had man never finned, he had never been fick. Sicknefs is a part of the curfe inflicted on difobedience; and thither the Pfalmift has taught us to recur in all our visitations faying, "When thou with rebukes doft chaften man for fin, thou makeft his beauty to confume away, like as it were a moth fretting a garment. Every man therefore," because every man has finned, "is but vanity," a creature of no ftability and ftrength, but prefently fretted and worn down by fickness, as the best and faireft cloth is, when the moth has once got into it. He therefore that would be healed of his ficknefs, fhould apply for the pardon of his fins. And to whom fhould he go for a perfect cure of both, but to him who firft" faid to the fick of the pally, Son, thy fins are forgiven thee;" and then-"Arife, take up thy bed, and go to thine houfe ?"

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But, alas, the remiffion of fins by Jefus Chrift, though the greatest and most glorious of all the divine mercies, and the ground and foundation of the reft, yet being not like a cure wrought on the body, outward, and vifible, and perceivable by the fenfes, is often lightly fet by and fcoffed at by proud and worldly men. As in the cafe before us, no fooner had Christ said, thy fins are forgiven thee," but "certain of the Scribes and Pharifees," who were prefent, "began to reafon in their hearts "Who is this that fpeaketh blafphemies? Who can forgive fins but God only?" Who indeed? But does it follow, thou blind and envious Pharifee, that he blafphemeth who came into the world, as the law and the prophets foretold he fhould, to "fave his people from their fins," and who fhewed himfelf poffeffed of almighty power by the works he daily and hourly wrought in the ftreets of Jerufalem! It is true, doubtlefs, that God only can forgive fins. But why then is not the only juft and right conclufion drawn, viz. that he. who does forgive them by his own power, and who demonstrates

to fenfe that he does fo, by removing the pains and penalties inflicted on their account that he, I fay, is VERY GOD, thoughhe appears in the form of a man "God manifeft in the flesh, to deftroy the works of the devil?"

But fuch was the exceeding hardness of these men's hearts, that though Chrift vouchfafed them two moft convincing proofs of his divinity, yet neither fo believed they on him. First, he answered to their thoughts, thereby fhewing himself to be one "who fearcheth the hearts and reins," the peculiar prerogative of God. "Jefus knowing their thoughts, faid, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts ?" Secondly, by releafing the fick man, in a moment, and by a word fpeaking, from a difease inflicted as a punishment for fin, he demonftrated to all the world the authority and power he had to pronounce the fentence, "Thy fins are forgiven thee.' Whether," fays he, "is eafier to fay, Thy fins are forgiven thee, or to fay, Arife, and walk?" Both, bleffed Jefus, are equally impoffible to any one but a God of almighty power, and infinite mercy, who firft made man, and then redeemed him. Such therefore we acknowledge thee to be who faidft-"That ye may know the fon of man hath power on earth to forgive fins - Arife, take up thy bed, and go to thine houfe." i. e. You shall fee a divine power go along with my words to heal an outward and vifible disease of the body, that ye may no longer doubt of the fame divine power going along with them to work the inward and fpiritual cure of the foul by the remiffion of fins. Accordingly no fooner were the words fpoken but the fick man inftantly "arofe, took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his house," no longer mute, but "6 glorifying God," perhaps in the words of the ciiid pfalm, for words better adapted to his cafe cannot be conceived "Praise the Lord, O my foul, and all that is within me praise his holy name. Praife the Lord, O my foul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thy fins, and healeth all thine infirmities," It must be confidered, that bodily difeafes, as they were introduced by fin, fo are they pictures and representations of correfponding diforders produced by the fame fin in our fouls, which thereby became fubject to the fever of anger, the dropfy of covetoufnefs, the leprofy of uncleannefs, the lunacy of ambition, and, among other maladies, to the palfy of fpiritual floth and liftleffness in things pertaining to the work of our falvation. This is the laft of thofe called "the feven deadly fins ;" and when it seizes upon the man, it takes away the ufe of his powers and faculties in matters fpiritual, exactly as the palfy does in matters temporal. His nerves are unftrung, and he is under an absolute inability to work out his falvation, and walk in the way af God's commandments. His hands can neither be lifted up to heaven in devotion, or ftretched out to the poor in charity. His feet cannot fupport or carry him forward in a courfe of holy duties. His tongue cleaves to the roof of his mouth, when it should utter prayers or praifes to God, or inflru&t and comfort, reprove, or

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exhort his neighbour. His understanding likewife is dull and heavy, when the doctrines of falvation are proposed to it; his memory retaineth not divine truths; and the vigour of his fpirit is departed. His will is chained down to the creature, nor can by any human means be difengaged from the earth: and what is worst of all, the man labouring under this mental or intellectual palfy, and brought down by it to the gates of eternal death, seems to himself all the while to thrive and flourifh, because he has perhaps riches, and honours, and pleafures in poffeffion, and can bask himself in the funfhine of this world, faying to his poor foul in this most wretched condition, "Soul, thou haft goods laid for many years; take thine eafe, eat, drink, and be merry." But fuffer not, O man, the world and the good things thereof to deceive thee to thy deftruction. They may increase the diforder, and haften thy miferable end. Thy true condition can only be judged of by the state of thy foul. Turn thine eyes inward, and If it does, fee whether the defcription juft given belongs to it. then behold and acknowledge thy picture in "the man fick of the palfy lying on a bed;" and thou wilt presently cry out, if thou art not quite overcome of the diftemper, "O wretched man that I am! who fhall deliver me from the body of this death?” I answer yea, thou wilt return answer to thyfelf, if thou confidereft this miracle aright—"I thank God, through Jesus Christ

our Lord."

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For by the wonderful cure wrought upon the body of this poor man, we are taught where to have recourfe when the pally has feized the foul. He who faid, "Arife and walk," faid likewife, "Thy fins be forgiven thee;" and his word was with equal power in both cafes. Nor is it poffible that he who vouchfafed to heal the more base and ignoble part of man, his body, fhould neglect his precious and immortal foul. All therefore that are spiritually "fick of the palfy" must apply to Chrift. No difficulties and difcouragements muft deter them. If they are not able to go to him of themselves by repentance and faith, let them beg the affiftance of kind and charitable friends, who may direct and convey them to him by godly counfel and advice, and by their prayers. And furely, if the fon of man on earth, in his mortal and afflicted ftate of humiliation, had power to forgive fins, with how much greater confidence may finners approach him now that he has died and rifen again for them, and fitteth on the throne of glory and grace, invefted with all the rights and powers of a priest and interceffor for evermore? Moft certainly, whosoever cometh, or is brought to him, in full faith and confidence of his mercy and power, as GOD THE SAVIOUR, fhall in no wise be cast out, but shall be made whole of his plague. He fhall hear the voice of Jefus faying to him by his word, and by the teftimony of his confcience through the Holy Ghost "Son, be of good cheer; thy fins be forgiven thee."

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